Operation Belcarra
Program / SchemeReferenced in 7 bills
Local Government Electoral (Implementing Stage 1 of Belcarra) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018
This bill bans political donations from property developers to politicians and political parties at both State and local government levels in Queensland. It also strengthens the rules for how local councillors must declare and manage conflicts of interest. The reforms implement the Government's response to the Crime and Corruption Commission's Operation Belcarra report, which investigated corruption risks in local government following the 2016 council elections.
Criminal Code and Other Legislation (Ministerial Accountability) Amendment Bill 2019
This bill would have created criminal offences for Queensland Cabinet ministers who fail to declare conflicts of interest. It was a private member's bill introduced by then-Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington following a Crime and Corruption Commission investigation into allegations about the Deputy Premier. The bill lapsed at the end of the 56th Parliament and did not become law.
Electoral Legislation (Political Donations) Amendment Bill 2018
This bill would have banned all for-profit corporations from making political donations in Queensland, at both state and local government levels. It was a private member's bill introduced by the Greens, building on the Crime and Corruption Commission's Operation Belcarra investigation into the corrupting influence of political donations. The bill failed its second reading and did not become law.
Electoral Laws (Restoring Electoral Fairness) Amendment Bill 2025
This bill makes wide-ranging changes to Queensland's electoral laws. It removes the ban on property developer donations for State elections, restructures donation caps to reset each financial year, tightens prisoner voting restrictions, removes Electoral Commission oversight of party preselection ballots, allows banks to lend to political campaigns, and requires election material to carry authorisation details for 12 months before a general election.
Electoral Laws (Restoring Electoral Fairness) Amendment Bill 2025
This bill changes Queensland's electoral laws across six areas: it restricts more prisoners from voting, removes the ban on property developer donations for State elections, resets donation caps to apply each financial year instead of each parliamentary term, allows bank loans to fund State election campaigns, removes Electoral Commission oversight of party preselection ballots, and extends the period during which election material must carry authorisation details.
Electoral and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019
This bill reforms Queensland's electoral laws to improve donation transparency, modernise voting operations, and align with four-year fixed parliamentary terms. It implements recommendations from the Crime and Corruption Commission's Operation Belcarra inquiry into local government corruption risks and an independent review of the 2016 elections.
Local Government Electoral (Implementing Stage 2 of Belcarra) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019
This bill implements the second stage of reforms arising from the Crime and Corruption Commission's Operation Belcarra investigation into corruption risks at several Queensland councils. It strengthens donation transparency, overhauls how councillors manage conflicts of interest, expands the State's power to intervene in local government, brings Brisbane City Council under the same rules as other councils, and changes local government elections to full-preferential voting.