A number of Public Service Agencies are to be consolidated into bigger entities in an effort to improve value for money for the Queensland taxpayer.
Announced by Treasurer Cameron Dick (pictured), the changes are to lead to structural reform by integrating Statutory Bodies and Agencies within existing Government Departments.
Mr Dick was supported in the move by the Minister for Police and Corrective Services, Mark Ryan who said public safety resources should be shifted back to the front-line.
“Functions of the Public Safety Business Agency (PSBA) will be transferred back to the Queensland Police Service and the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services,” Mr Ryan said.
“Following several reviews, the Government has been progressively transferring the functions of the PSBA back to the relevant public safety Agencies, and now it is time to finish the job.”
He said it was largely due to the resilience and efforts of PSBA staff members that the PSBA has managed to function as well as it had.
Minister for Fire and Emergency Services, Craig Crawford said the changes would also ensure better use of Government resources to support the work of emergency services.
“The transition will progress in full consultation with key stakeholders and is expected to be finalised by the end of June 2021,” Mr Crawford said.
Among the moves, the Queensland Productivity Commission is to be integrated into Queensland Treasury to establish an Office of Productivity and Red Tape Reduction, under which title it will continue to be the regulatory review provider, but consideration will be given to the Queensland Competition Authority managing matters relating to competitive neutrality.
Building Queensland is to be integrated into Queensland Treasury and the work of the Debt Recovery and Compliance program undertaken by the Office of State Revenue, which will receive increased resources to manage the task.
The Treasury estimates the changes will cost the taxpayer $74.95 million but will lead to increased revenue and collections of $488.15 million over three-and-a-half years.
