Ms Kate Jones MP

This bill replaces Queensland's 2001 law on non-State school accreditation with a modernised framework. It streamlines how independent and Catholic schools become accredited, gives the Non-State Schools Accreditation Board responsibility for deciding government funding eligibility, and strengthens inspection and investigation powers.

This bill replaces Queensland's old overseas students law, creates a new statutory regime for international secondary student exchange programs, and sets up the legal framework for the new senior assessment system and ATAR that began with Year 11 students in 2019. It also makes minor amendments to home education rules, school councils and school terminology.

This bill makes Prep the compulsory first year of school in Queensland and overhauls how teachers are regulated and disciplined. It also lets the government claw back overpaid funding from non-state schools and allows school regulators to share suspected criminal activity with police.

This bill modernises the governance of Queensland's seven public universities. It removes the power for universities to make statutes, requires each to publish a policy for electing staff and student representatives, loosens delegation rules, and imposes new disclosure duties on governing body members. It also lets James Cook University reshape the size and composition of its council.

This bill enables a $2 billion wind farm of up to 226 turbines in three State forests near Gympie, creating special tenure arrangements that override the Forestry Act. It also separately fixes planning administration problems in the Springfield development area in Ipswich.

This bill replaces Queensland's 1975 grammar schools law with modern legislation covering the eight grammar schools at Brisbane, Ipswich, Rockhampton, Toowoomba and Townsville. It modernises board governance, cuts financial red tape, and permanently closes the door on new grammar schools being created.