Appendices

Reports of Treasury’s expenditure on consultancies, language services and overseas travel are published on the Open Data website data.qld.gov.au.

External audits and reviews aid transparency in government,  and help Treasury improve its performance and monitor its  progress towards Queensland’s Economic Recovery Plan.

The following reports of independent reviews were tabled in Parliament during 2020–21:

Auditor-General Report to Parliament
Effectiveness of audit committees in State Government entities (whole of government)
Report No 2 2020–21, tabled 8 September 2020

Recommendations

That all entities’ audit committees have the right members, are engaged with their leaders, understand their role, add value and continue to improve and evolve.

Specifically, that Treasury:

• mandates all members of audit committees for Queensland state government entities must be independent of management and not an employee of the entity or another Queensland state government entity
• coordinates with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet to actively promote the use of its Queensland Register of Nominees to prospective audit committee candidates, and to entities looking for new members
• supports regional audit committees with clear guidance about how they can source suitable candidates and use technology to attract or connect with nominees
• supports audit committees and entities to access appropriate training and guidance materials
• provides improved guidance to audit committees on how to effectively assess and improve their performance practices.

Treasury’s response

Treasury supported a combination of internal and external members and supported all other recommendations.

To increase support and guidance, Treasury undertook work to consult and improve the Audit Committee Guidelines.

Queensland Government response to COVID-19 (whole of government)
Report No 3 2020–21, tabled 22 September 2020

Recommendations

That Treasury contributes to a whole-of-government report that provides the first phase of the audit program examining Queensland Government’s response to COVID-19, and its measures and their costs.

Treasury’s response

Treasury played a critical role in advising the Queensland Government on the uptake and impact of each COVID-19 measure. Monitoring and governance of the government’s response will be maintained, with continued advice to be provided to the Queensland Government on its progress. Treasury is working with agencies to monitor the actual

cost of these initiatives.

Awarding of sports grants (whole of government)
Report No 6 2020–21, tabled 29 September 2020

Recommendation

That Treasury updates the Financial Accountability Handbook to provide clarity on the role of a minister in the selection and approval of grant recipients.

Treasury’s response

As part of the work to update the handbook, practical guidance will be included on the provision of advice and recording of decisions.

State Entities 2020 (whole of government)
Report No 13 2020–21, tabled 11 February 2021

Recommendation

That all entities continue to ensure financial statements are reliable, acknowledging that a rapid response to COVID-19 can bring risk and that strong information systems are critical. The report encouraged relevant ministers and central agencies to explore opportunities for releasing the audited financial statements of public sector entities in a more timely way.

Treasury’s response

Treasury communicated to Chief Finance Officers encouraging them to table their departmental annual reports at the earliest opportunity rather than waiting for the legislative deadline of 30 September.

State Finances 2020 (whole of government)
Report No 15 2020–21, tabled 18 March 2021

Recommendations

That Treasury:

• amends the Financial Accountability Act 2009 to include a statutory timeframe for the annual certification and tabling in Parliament of the consolidated Queensland Government financial statements
• certifies the financial statements prior to 31 October, in an election year, to allow for tabling prior to the state election
• amends the Queensland Future Fund Act 2020 to include a requirement for financial statements to be prepared, audited, and made publicly available for each fund created.

Treasury’s response

The preparation of the Report on State Finances is dependent on audited agency financial statements, which are only finalised by 31 August.

Treasury works to ensure that, in a non-election year, statements are certified by 31 October. In an election year, Treasury works with the Queensland Audit Office to ensure statements are finalised as soon as possible.

Treasury will disclose the Queensland Future Fund as per the Act as well as strategic asset allocation in the Queensland Treasury Annual Report.

Treasury produces a range of publications, guidelines, and other useful resources about:

• each year’s Queensland Budget cycle
• financial and economic policy
• government-owned corporations
• economic, statistical and demographic research
• infrastructure projects
• state revenue, including land tax, payroll tax and duties
• home owner and builder grants
• advice on paying infringement notices and fines.

Many of these are available on this site or by contacting us at communications@treasury.qld.gov.au.

A report from the Office of Best Practice Regulation on implementation of Regulatory Impact Analysis by agencies and exemptions granted by Cabinet for the period 2 June 2021 to 30 June 2021 is available on this site.

CFER

COVID-19 Fiscal and Economic Review, a statement of the government’s plans for state finances and the economy published in September 2020.

Code of Conduct

The Code of Conduct for the Queensland public service guides the consistent standards of conduct for all public sector employees and demonstrates the government’s commitment to integrity and accountability, reflecting the ethics principles and values prescribed in the Public Sector Ethics Act 1994.

Duties/duty

A state tax on certain transactions including transfer of property (transfer duty), vehicle registration, insurance contracts and other acquisitions.

Financial Provisioning Fund

The Financial Provisioning Fund was established under the Mineral and Energy Resources (Financial Provisioning) Act 2018 to provide a source of pooled funding to meet approved expenditure for environmental remediation and rehabilitation of resource sites, legacy abandoned mines, rehabilitation research and Financial Provisioning Scheme administration.

Financial Provisioning Scheme

A scheme under the Mineral and Energy Resources (Financial Provisioning) Act 2008 to manage the state’s financial risks from resource sector environmental authority holders failing to meet their environmental and rehabilitation obligations under the Environmental Protection Act 1994. The scheme is managed by the Scheme Manager, a statutory officer appointed by the Governor in Council.

FTE

Full-time equivalent and refers to the number of employment hours considered full-time.

GOC

Government-owned corporation

GST

Goods and services tax

Land tax

State tax on freehold land, assessed on the taxable value of an owner’s total land holdings. In Queensland, landowners are entitled to an exemption from land tax for the land they use as their home.

MOHRI

Minimum obligatory human resource information used to inform the Queensland public sector workforce profile.

MYFER

Mid-Year Fiscal and Economic Review

Nominal Defendant

A statutory body that compensates people injured by unidentified and uninsured vehicles.

Payroll tax

State tax paid if an employer, or group of employers, pays more than $1.3 million in annual Australian taxable wages.

Project Maroon

Project Maroon was the securing of the Virgin Australia Headquarters and a range of other benefits in Queensland.

QAO

Queensland Audit Office

QIC

Queensland Investment Corporation

QGSO

Queensland Government Statistician’s Office

Royalty revenue

Royalties are payments to the owners of a resource for the right to sell, dispose of or use that resource. In the context of Treasury’s revenue management service, these resources are usually from petroleum, coal and other mining activities.

Savings and Debt Plan

The Queensland Government’s plan to support economic recovery from COVID-19 with a target of $3 billion in savings over 4 years.

State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER)

Part of the Office of State Revenue, SPER collects and enforces unpaid infringement notice fines, court-ordered monetary fines and offender recovery orders issued in Queensland.