Queensland Parliament sat from 19 March to 21 March 2024.
Bills Introduced
The following bills were introduced into the Legislative Assembly:
- Police Powers and Responsibilities and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024
- Economic Development and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024
- Manufactured Homes (Residential Parks) Amendment Bill 2024
- Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024
- Termination of Pregnancy (Live Births) Amendment Bill 2024
Police Powers and Responsibilities and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024
On Thursday 21 March 2024, the Hon Nikki Boyd, Minister for Fire and Disaster Recovery and Minister for Corrective Services introduced the Police Powers and Responsibilities and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 into the Queensland Parliament.
The explanatory notes indicate the Bill’s objective is to make the necessary amendments to ensure that trans and gender diverse people receive the same protections as other Queenslanders without making specific reference to gendered language, unless absolutely necessary. The Bill, in making the necessary amendments, aims to achieve operational improvements in legislation administered by the Queensland Police Service (QPS), the Department of Justice and Attorney-General, and Queensland Health.
The Bill amends the:
- Child Protection (Offender Reporting and Offender Prohibition Order) Act 2004
- Corrective Services Act 2006
- Crime and Corruption Act 2001
- Mental Health Act 2016
- Planning Regulation 2017
- Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000
- Public Health Act 2005
- Summary Offences Act 2005
- Terrorism (Preventative Detention) Act 2005
- Victims of Crime Assistance Act 2009
Useful resources:
The Bill was referred to the Community Support and Services Committee for inquiry. The committee is finalising arrangements for this inquiry. For further details regarding the inquiry process, visit the committee’s website here.
Economic Development and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024
On Wednesday 20 March 2024, the Hon Grace Grace, Minister for State Development and Infrastructure, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Racing, introduced the Economic Development and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 into the Queensland Parliament.
The Bill is intended to allow Economic Development Queensland (EDQ) to address the housing shortage in Queensland by:
- achieving an increase in housing supply, diversity of housing typologies and provision of quality social and affordable housing at scale across the State, which is informed by need.
- building the capacity of government and the housing sector to deliver social and affordable housing outcomes in a flexible manner tailored to specific opportunities.
- leveraging government intervention to maximise industry capability, alternative delivery models and funding sources.
- delivering a range of housing outcomes within accelerated timescales.
- defining social and affordable housing outcomes with a supporting set of quantitative targets that support broader State-wide strategy and prioritisation and in consultation with the Department of Housing, Local Government, Planning and Public Works
To achieve its objectives, the Bill proposes to amend the Economic Development Act 2012 in the following key ways:
- Housing supply, affordability and diversity: create additional pathways for EDQ to facilitate delivery of social and affordable housing while aligning with government targets and priorities.
- Investment powers: include undertaking investment activities in property assets as a function of the Minister for Economic Development Queensland. Place Renewal Framework: establish place renewal areas to enable EDQ to lead coordinated and integrated urban renewal through a place renewal framework.
- Amendments for operational efficiency: implement measures to deliver operational efficiencies to Minister for Economic Development Queensland’s existing functions.
- EDQ’s corporate structure: adjust EDQ’s corporate structure to optimise its broad capabilities across planning and development activities.
The Bill amends the:
- Economic Development Act 2012
- Planning Act 2016
- Public Sector Act 2022
Useful resources:
The Bill was referred to the Housing, Big Build and Manufacturing Committee for inquiry. The committee is finalising arrangements for this inquiry. For further details regarding the inquiry process, visit the committee’s website here.
Manufactured Homes (Residential Parks) Amendment Bill 2024
On Thursday 21 March 2024, the Hon Meaghan Scanlon, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Planning and Minister for Public Works, introduced the Manufactured Homes (Residential Parks) Amendment Bill 2024 into the Queensland Parliament.
The Bill will amend the Manufactured Homes (Residential Parks) Act 2003 (the Act) to improve consumer protections in residential parks balanced with reasonable industry viability.
The Bill contributes to the objectives of Homes for Queenslanders, the Queensland Housing Strategy 2017-27 and the Queensland Housing and Homelessness Action Plan 2021-2025 (the Action Plan) to ensure:
- residential parks are fair and transparent
- the legislative framework for residential parks is contemporary and meets community expectations
- the residential park business model is sustainable for home owners and park owners.
Specifically, the Bill delivers on Action 18 of the Action Plan which committed to address concerns about site rent increases and unsold homes in residential parks.
The Bill amends the:
- Manufactured Homes (Residential Parks) Act 2003
- Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990
Useful resources:
The Bill was referred to the Housing, Big Build and Manufacturing Committee for inquiry. The committee is finalising arrangements for this inquiry. For further details regarding the inquiry process, visit the committee’s website here.
Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024
On Thursday 21 March 2024, the Hon Meaghan Scanlon, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Planning and Minister for Public Works, introduced the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 into the Queensland Parliament.
The Bill’s objectives are to:
- improve the rental bond process by ensuring bond refunds are fair and transparent and claims against the rental bond are genuine and substantiated
- balance renters’ right to privacy with property owners’ right to information by extending entry notice periods and appropriate handling and disposal of renters’ information
- make the rental application process fairer and easier by giving renters a choice about how to submit their rental application and prescribing a rental application form that limits the information that can be collected from a prospective renter
- ease cost of living pressures for renters by protecting renters from unreasonable fees and charges, including reletting costs and rent payment methods that attract costs other than bank and other account fees usually payable for transactions
- support renters and property owners to agree to changes that can be made to the rental property to meet occupants changing needs
- help to stabilise the private rental market by applying the annual limit for rent increases to the rental property not the tenancy, and banning all forms of rent bidding
- progress reforms under National Cabinet’s A Better Deal for Renters (ABDR)
- appropriately balance the rights of parties in the rental relationship to improve the rental experience for Queensland renters and property owners and clarify the expectations of all parties in the rental sector
- support enhanced compliance and enforcement functions
- establish a legislative scheme for mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) for property agents.
- address technical and procedural issues associated with the ending of a residential tenancy agreement or rooming accommodation agreement as part of an economic reasons termination process which is to be introduced into the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 (BCCM Act) by the Body Corporate and Community Management and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2023
- amend the local government superannuation scheme to remove the requirement for mandatory employee contributions, other than for defined benefit members, and to change the name of the trustee and the scheme to reflect a change in the business name of the default fund.
The Bill amends the:
- Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997
- Fair Trading Inspectors Act 2014
- Local Government Act 2009
- Property Occupations Act 2014
- Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008
- State Penalties Enforcement Regulation 2014
- Local Government Regulation 2012
- Superannuation (Public Employees Portability) Regulation 2019
- Superannuation (State Public Sector) Act 1990
Useful resources:
The Bill was referred to the Housing, Big Build and Manufacturing Committee for inquiry. The committee is finalising arrangements for this inquiry. For further details regarding the inquiry process, visit the committee’s website here.
Termination of Pregnancy (Live Births) Amendment Bill 2024
On Wednesday 20 March 2024, Robert Katter, Member for Traeger, introduced the Termination of Pregnancy (Live Births) Amendment Bill 2024 into Queensland Parliament.
The objective of the Bill is to enshrine in legislation the protections for babies born as a result of a termination of pregnancy procedure. The Bill removes any doubt that babies born in these circumstances are entitled to the same degree of medical care and attention as a baby born in any other way.
The Bill amends the:
- Termination of Pregnancy Act 2018
Useful resources:
- Bill
- Explanatory Note
- Statement of Compatibility
- Explanatory Speech
- Committee
The Bill was referred to the Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee for inquiry. The committee is finalising arrangements for this inquiry. For further details regarding the inquiry process, visit the committee’s website here.
Legislation passed this Parliament
The following legislation was passed by the Legislative Assembly:
- Work Health and Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023
- Casino Control and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023
- Forensic Science Queensland Bill 2023
- Pharmacy Business Ownership Bill 2023
Work Health and Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023
The Work Health and Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 was passed with amendment on 21 March 2024.
On 30 November 2023, the Minister for Education, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Racing, the Hon Grace Grace, introduced the Work Health and Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023.
The Bill was referred to the Education, Training and Employment Committee for inquiry. On 23 February 2024, the Education, Employment, Training and Skills Committee tabled its report, ‘Work Health and Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023’ (Report No. 2, 57th Parliament).
The Queensland Law Society provided a submission on the Bill, which can be found here.
The Bill’s primary objective is to give effect to the Queensland Government’s response to recommendations from the Review of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 – Final report 2022. The Bill also implements particular recommendations from the 2018 Review of the Model Work Health and Safety Laws (the Boland Review). The Bill proposes further amendments to improve the operation and administration of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act), and a consequential amendment to the definition of ‘cooling tower’ in s 61A of the Public Health Act 2005.
Amendments were made during consideration in detail to:
- omit clause 8 in the Bill which had proposed amending section 21 (Reckless conduct –
category 1) of the Safety in Recreational Water Activities Act 2011 to include negligence as a fault element in the Category 1 offence, in addition to reckless conduct; and
- omit clause 16 in the Bill which had proposed amending section 31 (Reckless conduct – category 1) of the WHS Act to include negligence as a fault element in the Category 1 offence, in addition to reckless conduct.
The Bill amends the:
- Safety in Recreational Water Activities Act 2011
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011
- and the Acts mentioned in schedule 1 of the Bill
Useful resources:
- Parliamentary Report
- Bill
- Explanatory Note
- Statement of Compatibility
- Explanatory Speech
- Committee
- Amendment in Committee – Government Agreed
- Amendment in Committee – Explanatory Note
- Amendment in Committee – Statement of Compatibility
Forensic Science Queensland Bill 2023
The Forensic Science Queensland Bill 2023 was passed without amendment on 19 March 2024.
On 29 November 2023, the Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services and Minister for Women, the Hon Shannon Fentiman, introduced the Forensic Science Queensland Bill 2023.
The Bill was referred to the Health and Environment Committee and then the Legal Affairs and Safety Committee for inquiry. On 19 February 2024, the Community Safety and Legal Affairs Committee tabled its report, ‘Forensic Science Queensland Bill 2023’ (Report No. 2, 57th Parliament).
The objective of the Bill is to establish a statutory framework for forensic services to support the administration of criminal justice in Queensland. The Bill implements recommendation 121 of the Commission of Inquiry into Forensic DNA Testing in Queensland by establishing:
- a statutory position of the Director of Forensic Science Queensland (Director);
- a supporting Office of the Director of Forensic Science Queensland; and
- the Forensic Science Queensland Advisory Council.
The Bill amends the:
- Evidence Act 1977
- Medicines and Poisons Act 2019
- Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000
Useful resources:
Casino Control and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023
The Casino Control and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 was passed without amendment on 20 March 2024.
On 25 October 2023, the Hon Yvette D’Ath, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence introduced the Casino Control and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 into Queensland Parliament.
The Bill was referred to the Legal Affairs and Safety Committee for inquiry. On 2 February 2024 the Legal Affairs and Safety Committee tabled its report, ‘Casino Control and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023’ (Report No. 67, 57th Parliament).
The Bill’s objectives are to:
- facilitate the implementation of Recommendations 1 to 11 of the External Review of the Queensland Operations of The Star Entertainment Group Limited (the Gotterson Review); and
- implement a range of other reforms to enhance the casino regulatory framework.
The Gotterson Review suggested that Queensland casinos be required to:
- introduce mandatory carded play (Recommendation 1);
- implement cashless gambling save for transactions of $1000 or less (Recommendation 2);
- offer full, mandatory and binding pre-commitment including play and break limits (Recommendations 3 and 4);
- collect and make available certain carded play data (Recommendations 5 and 6);
- comply with a compulsory code of conduct for safer gambling (Recommendation 8);
- pay a supervision levy (Recommendation 9);
- be subject to cost recoverable periodic reviews (Recommendation 10); and
- take reasonable steps to establish the persons subject to interstate police commissioner initiated exclusion and exclude those persons (Recommendation 11)
It was also suggested that legislative references to ‘problem gamblers’ should be replaced with more modern terminology (Recommendation 7), and the appointment of a special manager should be a form of disciplinary action available under the Casino Control Act 1982 against a casino entity (i.e. a casino licensee, casino lessee, casino operator) (Recommendation 12).
The Bill amends the:
- Casino Control Act 1982
- Casino Control Regulation 1999
- Gaming Machine Act 1991
- Gaming Machine Regulation 2002
- Keno Act 1996
- Wagering Act 1998
Useful resources:
Pharmacy Business Ownership Bill 2023
The Pharmacy Business Ownership Bill 2023 was passed without amendment on 19 March 2024.
On 30 November 2023, the Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services and Minister for Women, Shannon Fentiman, introduced the Pharmacy Business Ownership Bill 2023.
The Bill was referred to the Health and Environment Committee and then the Economics and Governance Committee for inquiry. On 8 March 2024, the Cost of Living and Economics Committee tabled its report, ‘Pharmacy Business Ownership Bill 2023’ (No. 1, 57th Parliament).
The Bill repeals the existing Pharmacy Business Ownership Act 2001 (2001 Act) and replaces it with a modern and effective framework for regulation of the ownership of pharmacy businesses.
The Bill’s key objectives are to:
- clarify the requirements in the 2001 Act relating to who may own or hold an interest in a pharmacy business, and retain the limits on the number of pharmacy businesses that a person may own or hold an interest in;
- establish a regulatory council as a statutory body to administer the Act and transfer regulatory functions from Queensland Health to the council;
- establish a licensing framework for the ownership of and interests in pharmacy businesses;
- prohibit the council from issuing a licence if the pharmacy business is located in a supermarket;
- prohibit third parties from exercising inappropriate control over how pharmacy business owners provide pharmacy services related to medicines and provide that clauses in a contract or agreement that allow a third party to exercise inappropriate control are void;
- require the council to report the results of compliance audits;
- require the council to maintain a register of pharmacies, to assist the community to locate pharmacies and services provided by pharmacies;
- modernise existing provisions relating to the functions and powers of inspectors, legal proceedings, delegations and protections from civil liability;
- restrict disclosure of information obtained in connection with the administration of the legislation to limited circumstances; and
- confirm that regulations may be made about fees, waiver of fees, record keeping and pharmacy premise standards.
The Bill repeals the:
- Pharmacy Business Ownership Act 2001
The Bill amends the:
- Public Sector Act 2022
- Termination of Pregnancy Act 2018
Useful resources:
Second Reading
- Land and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023
Subordinate Legislation
Subordinate Queensland Legislation notified in 2024 is available online.
Subordinate Legislation notified on the Queensland Legislation website from 9 March 2024 to 22 March 2024:
- SL No. 12 of 2024: Aboriginal Land (Endeavour River Resources Reserve) Amendment Regulation 2024
- SL No. 13 of 2024: Rural and Regional Adjustment (Variation of Fisheries Structural Adjustment Scheme) Amendment Regulation 2024
- SL No. 14 of 2024: Local Government Legislation (Councillor Conduct) Amendment Regulation 2024
- SL No. 15 of 2024: Work Health and Safety (Quad Bikes) Amendment Regulation 2024
- SL No. 16 of 2024: Proclamation – Body Corporate and Community Management and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2023 (commencing remaining provisions)
- SL No. 17 of 2024: Proclamation No. 3 – Justice and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2023 (commencing certain provisions)
- SL No. 18 of 2024: Justices of the Peace and Commissioners for Declarations Amendment Regulation 2024
- SL No. 19 of 2024: Environmental Protection and Other Legislation Amendment (Postponement) Regulation 2024
- SL No. 20 of 2024: Nature Conservation (Fee Waivers) and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation 2024
- SL No. 21 of 2024: Proclamation No. 4 – Justice and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024 (commencing certain provisions)
- SL No. 22 of 2024: Attorney-General and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation 2024
- SL No. 23 of 2024: Trust Accounts (Transitional) Regulation 2024
Queensland Government Gazette
The Queensland Government Gazettes for 2024 are available online.
Parliamentary Sitting Dates
As indicated on the parliamentary website, the Queensland Parliament is currently scheduled to next sit from 16 April to 18 April 2024.
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