Murrumba Electorate

Your Member

Hon Steven Miles MP

Australian Labor Party

Leader of the Opposition

Bills Introduced by Hon Steven Miles MP

Health Transparency Bill 2019

This bill makes it easier for Queenslanders to compare the quality of hospitals and aged care facilities by creating a public reporting framework. It also sets minimum staffing levels in public aged care homes and reforms how health complaints are handled between the Health Ombudsman and the national regulator AHPRA.

Public Health (Declared Public Health Emergencies) Amendment Bill 2020

This bill was introduced in February 2020 in direct response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. It amends the Public Health Act 2005 to allow declared public health emergencies to be extended by regulation for up to 90 days at a time, instead of the previous 7-day limit, giving Queensland Health greater continuity in managing the pandemic response.

Health Practitioner Regulation National Law and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018

This bill reforms how health practitioners who treat other health practitioners handle mandatory reporting, and toughens penalties for people who pretend to be registered health professionals. It was agreed by all Australian health ministers through COAG and applies nationally, with Queensland as the host jurisdiction.

North Stradbroke Island Protection and Sustainability and Others Acts Amendment Bill 2015

This bill reverses 2013 changes that had extended sand mining on North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) out to 2035, restoring the original plan to end mining substantially by 2019. It also creates a new power for former mine operators across Queensland to re-enter land to finish rehabilitation after their mining leases expire.

Health and Wellbeing Queensland Bill 2019

This bill establishes Health and Wellbeing Queensland, a new statutory body with an initial budget of nearly $33 million dedicated to preventing chronic disease and improving the health of Queenslanders. It takes a whole-of-government and community approach, working across sectors like education, employment and housing to tackle the social factors that drive poor health outcomes.

Health Legislation Amendment Bill 2019

This bill makes wide-ranging amendments across Queensland's health laws to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health equity, ban conversion therapy by health service providers, strengthen collaboration across the public health system, and update private hospital accreditation requirements. It also repeals the redundant Pap Smear Register and makes administrative changes to the Queensland Mental Health Commission.

Nature Conservation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2015

This bill rolls back several 2013 changes to Queensland's nature conservation laws to strengthen protection of national parks. It restores 'conservation of nature' as the sole purpose of the Nature Conservation Act 1992, brings back three distinct classes of protected area with their own management rules, and restores the requirement for public consultation before management plans are changed.

Tow Truck and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2017

This bill brings private property towing under the Tow Truck Act for the first time, capping charges and requiring licensed operators with written consent from property occupiers. It also keeps 17-year-old drivers subject to mandatory disqualifications and SPER enforcement, and lets toll operators combine multiple unpaid tolls into a single demand notice.

Justice and Other Legislation (COVID-19 Emergency Response) Amendment Bill 2020

This bill made temporary amendments to over 20 Queensland Acts as the state's third legislative response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It addressed issues that could not be dealt with under the existing COVID-19 Emergency Response Act 2020 modification framework, providing financial relief for workers, property owners and businesses, strengthening public health and emergency powers, and enabling corrections, disability and mental health services to operate safely during the emergency. Most provisions expired on 31 December 2020.

Locking in Cost of Living Support (50 Cent Fares Forever) Amendment Bill 2025

This bill was discharged and did not become law. It sought to make 50 cent public transport fares permanent across Queensland's Translink network by amending the Transport Operations (Passenger Transport) Act 1994. Introduced by the Opposition following a six-month trial that began in August 2024, which saw an 18.3% increase in patronage and saved commuters over $181 million in fares.

Public Health and Other Legislation (Public Health Emergency) Amendment Bill 2020

This bill gave Queensland authorities the legal powers needed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including lockdowns, quarantine orders, business closures, and restrictions on gatherings. It also amended electoral and planning laws to provide flexibility during the public health emergency, with most emergency powers set to expire one year after commencement.

Environmental Protection (Chain of Responsibility) Amendment Bill 2016

This bill amends the Environmental Protection Act 1994 so that when a mining or industrial company collapses or walks away from a polluting site, the government can force the people and companies behind it to pay for the clean-up. It was introduced urgently after several high-profile failures including the Yabulu Nickel Refinery.

Hospital Foundations Bill 2018

This bill modernises the governance of Queensland's 13 hospital foundations and opens up the industrial hemp industry to food production. It repeals the outdated Hospitals Foundations Act 1982 and replaces it with contemporary legislation, while also amending the Drugs Misuse Act 1986 to allow hemp seeds to be grown and processed for human consumption.

Waste Reduction and Recycling Amendment Bill 2017

This bill creates the legal framework for Queensland's plastic shopping bag ban and container refund scheme, both starting 1 July 2018. It also strengthens the rules that govern when waste materials can be reused as resources.

Nature Conservation (Special Wildlife Reserves) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2017

This bill creates a new kind of protected area in Queensland called a 'special wildlife reserve', letting private landholders lock in permanent, national-park-level protection over land of outstanding conservation value while keeping it in private ownership. It also makes sure existing conservation agreements on leasehold land are not lost when the lease is renewed, converted or transferred, and closes a small regulatory gap for activities straddling Queensland and Commonwealth waters in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Medicines and Poisons Bill 2019

This bill replaces Queensland's 80-year-old medicines and poisons laws with a modern regulatory framework. It consolidates the Health Act 1937, Health (Drugs and Poisons) Regulation 1996, and Pest Management Act 2001 into a single, outcomes-based system that is easier for health practitioners and businesses to follow while better protecting public safety.

Therapeutic Goods Bill 2019

This bill adopts the Commonwealth Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 as a law of Queensland, ensuring all manufacturers of therapeutic goods — including sole traders and partnerships — meet national safety and quality standards. It closes a regulatory gap where small manufacturers trading only within Queensland were not subject to any therapeutic goods regulation.

Clean Economy Jobs Bill 2024

This bill puts Queensland's greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets into law — 30% reduction by 2030, 75% by 2035, and net zero by 2050. It creates a framework for planning how different sectors of the economy will reduce emissions, sets up an expert advisory panel, and requires the government to report progress to Parliament every year.

Local Government (Councillor Conduct) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023

This bill reforms Queensland's local government councillor conduct complaints system, implementing recommendations from a parliamentary committee inquiry. It introduces a new preliminary assessment process, compulsory councillor training, a vexatious complainant scheme, and greater transparency for conduct investigations. The bill also modernises advertising requirements, amends the Queen's Wharf Brisbane Act, and updates Moreton Bay City Council references.

Environmental Protection (Underground Water Management) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2016

This bill tightens the environmental assessment of underground water taken by mining and petroleum projects, improves protections for landholders whose water bores are damaged by resource activities, and fixes gaps in how local councils enforce heritage laws. It also creates a transitional 'associated water licence' process for mining projects that were partway through approval when Queensland's 2014 water reforms commenced.

Health and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018

This bill makes wide-ranging amendments to health and retirement village legislation. It repeals Queensland's separate medicinal cannabis approval system in favour of the Commonwealth framework, creates a mandatory register for occupational dust lung diseases like black lung and silicosis, gives Queensland Health new powers to issue public pollution notices, streamlines radiation safety licensing, modernises tissue donation laws for research, and requires retirement village operators to buy back unsold freehold units within 18 months.

Housing Availability and Affordability (Planning and Other Legislation Amendment) Bill 2023

This bill reforms Queensland's planning laws to help deliver more housing faster, particularly in growth areas of South East Queensland. It gives the State new powers to acquire land for development infrastructure, fast-track priority housing applications, and create zones to manage growth areas, while also modernising planning processes and reducing red tape for businesses affected by urban encroachment.

Local Government Electoral and Other Legislation (Expenditure Caps) Amendment Bill 2022

This bill introduces spending caps for Queensland local government elections, limiting how much candidates, political parties and third parties can spend on campaigning. It follows recommendations from a parliamentary committee inquiry prompted by the Crime and Corruption Commission's Belcarra report, which found that uneven financial competition was deterring candidates and distorting local government elections.