Transport and Resources Committee Report No 2, 57Th Parliament 2020
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2020 – 21 Budget Estimates Report No. 2, 57th Parliament Transport and Resources Committee February 2021 Transport and Resources Committee Chair Mr Shane King MP, Member for Kurwongbah Deputy Chair Mr Lachlan Millar MP, Member for Gregory Members Mr Colin Boyce MP, Member for Callide Ms Jess Pugh MP, Member for Mount Ommaney Mr Les Walker MP, Member for Mundingburra Mr Trevor Watts MP, Member for Toowoomba North Committee Secretariat Telephone +61 7 3553 6621 Fax +61 7 3553 6699 Email [email protected] Technical Scrutiny +61 7 3553 6616 Secretariat Committee webpage www.parliament.qld.gov.au/TRC Acknowledgements The committee thanks: • Minister for Transport and Main Roads • Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen and Minister for Public Works and Procurement • Minister for Resources. The committee also acknowledges the assistance provided by the departmental officers who contributed to the work of the committee during the estimates process. 2020 – 21 Budget Estimates Contents Chair’s foreword ii 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Role of the committee 1 1.2 Aim of this report 1 1.3 Participation by other Members 2 2 Recommendation 2 3 Minister for Transport and Main Roads 3 3.1 Department of Transport and Main Roads 3 3.1.1 Budget highlights – Department of Transport and Main Roads 4 3.2 Gold Coast Waterways Authority 6 3.2.1 Budget highlights – Gold Coast Waterways Authority 6 3.3 Cross River Rail Delivery Authority 6 3.3.1 Budget highlights – Cross River Rail Delivery Authority 6 3.4 RoadTek 7 3.4.1 Budget highlights – RoadTek 7 3.5 Key issues raised at the public hearing 7 4 Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen and Minister for Public Works and Procurement 9 4.1 Department of Energy and Public Works 9 4.1.1 Budget highlights – Department of Energy and Public Works 10 4.2 Queensland Building and Construction Commission 11 4.2.1 Budget highlights – Queensland Building and Construction Commission 11 4.3 QBuild 11 4.3.1 Budget highlights – QBuild 11 4.4 QFleet 12 4.4.1 Budget highlights – QFleet 12 4.5 Key issues raised at the public hearing 12 5 Minister for Resources 14 5.1 Department of Resources 14 5.1.1 Budget highlights – Department of Resources 15 5.1.2 Key issues raised at the public hearing – Department of Resources 15 Transport and Resources Committee i 2020 – 21 Budget Estimates Chair’s foreword This report presents a summary of the committee’s examination of the budget estimates for the 2020- 2021 financial year. Consideration of the budget estimates allows for the public examination of the responsible Ministers and the chief executive officers of agencies within the committee’s portfolio areas. This was undertaken through the questions on notice and public hearing process. The committee has recommended that the proposed expenditure, as detailed in the Appropriation (2020-2021) Bill 2020 for the committee’s areas of responsibility, be agreed to by the Legislative Assembly without amendment. On behalf of the committee, I thank the Minister for Transport and Main Roads; the Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen and Minister for Public Works and Procurement; the Minister for Resources, and each of their departmental officers for their co-operation in providing information to the committee throughout this process. I would like to thank Chris Whiting MP, Member for Bancroft, for acting as Chair for the hearing held on 11 December 2020. I would also like to thank the members of the committee for their hard work and valuable contribution to the estimates process, and other members whose participation in the hearing provided additional scrutiny of the estimates. Finally, I thank the committee’s secretariat and other Parliamentary Service staff for their assistance throughout the estimates process. Shane King MP Chair February 2020 ii Transport and Resources Committee 2020 – 21 Budget Estimates 1 Introduction 1.1 Role of the committee The Transport and Resources Committee is a portfolio committee of the Legislative Assembly which commenced on 26 November 2020 under the Parliament of Queensland Act 2001 and the Standing Rules and Orders of the Legislative Assembly.1 The committee’s primary areas of responsibility are: Transport and Main Roads Energy, Renewables, Hydrogen, Public Works and Procurement, and Resources. Section 93(1) of the Parliament of Queensland Act 2001 provides that a portfolio committee is responsible for examining each bill and item of subordinate legislation in its portfolio areas to consider: the policy to be given effect by the legislation the application of fundamental legislative principles for subordinate legislation – its lawfulness. On 4 December 2020, the Appropriation (2020-2021) Bill 2020 and the estimates for the Committee’s area of responsibility were referred to the committee for investigation and report.2 The Committee was required to report by 12 February 2021. On 11 December 2020, the committee conducted a public hearing and took evidence about the proposed expenditure from: the Minister for Transport and Main Roads; the Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen and Minister for Public Works and Procurement; the Minister for Resources; and other witnesses. A copy of the transcript of the Committee’s hearing is available on the committee’s webpage. 1.2 Aim of this report This report summarises the estimates referred to the committee and highlights some of the issues the committee examined. The committee considered the estimates referred to it by using information contained in: budget papers answers to pre-hearing questions on notice evidence taken at the hearing additional information given in relation to answers. Prior to the public hearing, the committee provided the Minister for Transport and Main Roads, the Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen and Minister for Public Works and Procurement, and the Minister for Resources with questions on notice in relation to the estimates. Responses to all the questions were received. 1 Parliament of Queensland Act 2001, section 88 and Standing Order 194. 2 Standing Order 177 provides for the automatic referral of the Annual Appropriation Bills to portfolio committees once the Bills have been read a second time. Transport and Resources Committee 1 2020 – 21 Budget Estimates The following documents are included in a volume of additional information tabled with this report: answers to the Committee’s pre-hearing questions on notice documents tabled during the hearing answers and additional information provided by Ministers after the hearing. Answers to the Committee’s pre-hearing questions on notice, documents tabled at the hearing, the hearing transcript, and answers to questions taken on notice at the hearing are available on the committee's website. 1.3 Participation by other Members The Committee gave leave for other Members to participate in the hearing. The following Members sought leave to participate in the hearing: Stephen Andrew MP, Member for Mirani Michael Berkman MP, Member for Maiwar Jarrod Bleijie MP, Member for Kawana Sandy Bolton MP, Member for Noosa David Crisafulli MP, Leader of the Opposition, Member for Broadwater David Janetzki MP, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Member for Toowoomba South Amy MacMahon MP, Member for South Brisbane Tim Mander MP, Member for Everton Brent Mickelberg MP, Member for Buderim Steven Minnikin MP, Member for Chatsworth Fiona Simpson MP, Member for Maroochydore Pat Weir MP, Member for Condamine. 2 Recommendation Pursuant to Standing Order 187(1), the Committee must state whether the proposed expenditures referred to it are agreed to. Recommendation 1 The Committee recommends that the proposed expenditure, as detailed in the Appropriation (2020- 2021) Bill 2020 for the Committee’s areas of responsibility, be agreed to by the Legislative Assembly without amendment. 2 Transport and Resources Committee 2020 – 21 Budget Estimates 3 Minister for Transport and Main Roads The Honourable Mark Bailey MP, Minister for Transport and Main Roads is the minister responsible for the Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR). The Minister is also responsible for the following agencies: Far North Queensland Ports Corporation Limited (Trading as Ports North) Gladstone Ports Corporation Limited North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation Limited Port of Townsville Corporation Limited Gold Coast Waterways Authority Queensland Rail Limited Cross River Rail Delivery Authority RoadTek.3 3.1 Department of Transport and Main Roads The Minister’s primary ministerial responsibilities in relation to transport and main roads include: air services, busways, land transport and safety, main roads, marine infrastructure – project delivery, maritime, passenger transport, personalised transport, ports, railways, road safety, and transport infrastructure.4 The DTMR has five service areas: transport system investment, planning and programming transport infrastructure management and delivery transport safety and regulation customer experience passenger transport services.5 3 State Budget 2020-21, Service Delivery Statements, DTMR, p 2-146 and Department of Transport and Main Roads, correspondence, 27 November 2020. 4 Queensland Government, Administrative Arrangements Order (No. 2) 2020, p 11, https://www.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/144812/administrative-arrangements-order-no-2- 2020.pdf 5 State Budget 2020-21, Service Delivery Statements, DTMR, p 2-147. Transport and Resources Committee 3 2020 – 21 Budget Estimates The following table taken from the Appropriation (2020-2021) Bill 2020 compares the appropriations for the department for 2019-20 and 2020-21. Budget Actual Vote Appropriations 2019-2020 2019-2020 2020-2021 $’000 $’000 $’000 Controlled Items departmental services 5,369,201 5,487,765 5,673,004 equity adjustment 1,628,456 1,489,060 2,019,337 Administered Items 40,000 45,000 588,939 Vote 7,037,657 7,021,825 8,281,280 Source: Appropriation (2020-2021) Bill 2020, Schedule 2, p 15. The following table outlines the agencies and statutory bodies that fall within the department and provides a comparison of the budgets for 2019-20 and 2020-21.