Organisational Restructure of the Queensland Department of Premier and Cabinet

Ross Rolfe, Director-General of the Queensland Department of Premier and Cabinet has announced an internal organisational restructure. The following outlines the most significant changes:

1. New Organisational Function

The function will primarily include:

• Driving an ambitious forward strategy program on issues of national importance
• Aggressively representing Queensland’s economic and social interest at a national level
• Developing innovative strategies based on latest thinking and research
• Identifying new ways of collaboration and cooperation between jurisdictions to enhance the Australian Federation.

Some of the critical issues include (but are not limited to):

• Climate change, including emissions trading options and energy policy and the development of clean coal technologies
• Northern economic triangle development, and
• Reform of key social services, including a new focus on Indigenous policy.

This new function will be established and managed by Mr Stuart Booker and Mr John Frazer. Mr Booker was previously Deputy Coordinator-General, and Mr Frazer has worked in the Office of Government Owned Corporations.

2. Policy Division

Changes have been made in order to fulfil the Premier’s wish to lift the Department’s capacity in two key areas, Intergovernmental Relations and the Forward Policy Agenda.  The consequent changes to the Department’s policy division include:

• Creating a new Cabinet Services role reporting to the Deputy Director –General for Policy,
• Performance Analysis and Reporting functions are to be moved to Cabinet Services,
• The Parliamentary Liaison Officer will move to the office of Director-General.

Changes related to prioritising Intergovernmental relations include:

• New Executive Director Intergovernmental Relations, to report to the Director-General through the Executive Director, Office of the Director-General,
• Department of Premier and Cabinet to host the secretariat for the Council for the Australian Federation.

Changes targeted at emphasising stronger and broader forward policy development include:

• Consolidation of Smart State Function within Policy Development Unit,
• Creating specific Premier’s Task Forces
• Four new Executive Director Roles.