Maritime

This bill creates the Sunshine Coast Waterways Authority, a new government body dedicated to managing the region's rivers, creeks, lakes and coastal waterways. It responds to community concerns about fragmented management — particularly around the Bribie Island breakthrough into Pumicestone Passage — by putting one authority in charge of strategic planning, infrastructure, navigational access, and sand and sediment management for Sunshine Coast waterways.

This bill establishes Marine Rescue Queensland (MRQ) as a dedicated statewide marine rescue service, unifying the existing volunteer Coast Guard flotillas and Volunteer Marine Rescue squadrons into one organisation under the Queensland Police Service. It is part of a broader reform of Queensland's emergency services following independent reviews that found the fragmented system led to duplication, unclear boundaries, and inconsistent training.

This bill strengthens Queensland's road safety laws by expanding drink driving interlock requirements to mid-range offenders, introducing mandatory education programs for all drink drivers, and enabling speed cameras on roads with variable speed limits. It also improves marine pollution cost recovery and streamlines various transport administration processes.