Submission: Child Safe Organisations Bill 2024
QCOSS welcomes the Queensland Government’s commitment to implement recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
QCOSS welcomes the Queensland Government’s commitment to implement recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
While many Queenslanders are struggling with the cost of living, the state’s economy has been touted as the strongest in the nation. While Queensland’s budget position is strong, the pressure on household budgets is crippling. This election is the time for both major parties to commit to giving Queenslanders a fair share of the state’s prosperity.
QCOSS welcomes many of the changes introduced by the Respect at Work and Other Matters Amendment Bill 2024 (Qld) which will advance Queensland’s equality laws on numerous fronts.
QCOSS and our members strongly support Queensland having a Human Rights Act. Overwhelming feedback from our sector supports the proposition that the Act is helping to deliver positive outcomes for communities, clients and service users.
The 2024-25 State Budget is delivered against a stark contrast. While many Queenslanders are struggling with the cost of living, the state’s economy has been touted as the strongest in the nation. The state’s economic prosperity presents a golden opportunity for government to make investments that will take the pressure off Queenslanders in the short term and provide better supports in the long term.
In our submission responding to the Inquiry into the Queensland Community Safety Bill 2024, QCOSS outlined that we do not support the Bill. Drawing on the expertise of community service organisations, we outlined that many of the amendments proposed in the Bill are not rights respecting, nor evidence based.
We welcome the intent of the Cheaper Power (Supplementary Appropriation) Bill 2024 to provide cost-of-living relief on household budgets (including mortgage repayments, rent, groceries and fuel) through a $1,000 credit on energy bills.
Queensland’s current housing crisis has laid bare the vulnerabilities that exist in the rental system. Rental law reform is an important part of the solution to provide housing in Queensland that is safe, secure, affordable, and appropriate for people’s needs.
This Bill provides major opportunities to further promote and protect human rights in Queensland and QCOSS commends the substantial work and consultation that has gone into the development of the consultation draft.
QCOSS welcomes the Emergency Services Reform Amendment Bill 2023 and recognises the substantial work that has underpinned these important reforms. However, the Bill does not harness the opportunity to more effectively embed community services into key coordination and disaster response activities.