The Act builds around a small set of legal and policy concepts that determine how the Plan operates in practice. Those concepts, and the statutory text that defines them, are:

• Queensland Plan. The central object is “the Queensland Plan” which becomes effective through ratification by the Legislative Assembly (s 6). The Plan is a long-term vision document with strategic directions, targets and measures for a set of key areas identified in s 5(2). The Act does not itself include the Plan content; it prescribes process, publication and review.

• Key areas. Section 5(2) lists example key areas that the Plan is to cover, including education, community, regions, economy, health and wellbeing, environment, people, infrastructure and governance. The list is framed as examples, so the statute contemplates flexibility in defining which areas the Plan addresses.

• Principles and schedules. The Plan “must be developed having regard to” principles in schedule 1 (s 5(3)(a)). The Act also relies on a dictionary in schedule 2 for defined terms (s 4). The text provided does not reproduce the schedules, but the Act makes them an express part of the development and review processes.

• Ratification and effect. The Plan achieves statutory status only after tabling and ratification by the Legislative Assembly; ratification converts the developed plan into “the Queensland Plan” with effect under the statute (s 6).

• Implementation levers and legal weight. The Act uses a mixture of levers. For the executive, the Premier has mandatory duties to facilitate development, table the plan and carry out reviews (s 5, s 6, s 15). Ministers whose principal responsibilities include a key area must promote awareness and encourage the community and business to have regard to the area and the Plan’s targets (s 9). Local governments must “have regard to” the Queensland Plan when deciding strategic direction and performance indicators for corporate plans (s 11). These are non-prescriptive, generally soft law levers rather than command-and-control mandates.

• Ambassadors Council. The Act creates a statutory body whose functions are primarily promotional, advocacy and advisory (s 20). The Premier appoints members, may direct the Council and may set remuneration and conditions (ss 21, 22, 25). The Council is subject to the Premier’s general direction and control (s 21(2)).

• Accountability and review. The Act mandates annual public reporting by the Premier (s 12), a statutory timetable for periodic independent review led by the Premier with mandatory consultation with the Ambassadors Council and community engagement consistent with schedule 1 (s 15), and a process for revising and re-ratifying the Plan (ss 16-17).

• Administrative mechanics. The Chief Executive’s duty to publish and make the Plan available (s 7), the Council’s meeting, quorum and minutes rules (ss 33-38), the Premier’s power to delegate functions (s 39) and the Governor in Council regulation power (s 42) are the operational concepts that enable the Plan’s life-cycle.

Taken together, the Act frames the Plan as a state-endorsed long-term strategic vision with statutory recognition and administrative machinery, while relying largely on encouragement, consideration and alignment obligations rather than explicit compulsion of actors outside the State.

The Act identifies a set of actors with explicit roles and duties, and implicitly affects a wider set of participants whose conduct the Plan is intended to influence.

Directly affected persons and bodies

• The Premier. Central statutory duties fall on the Premier: to facilitate development of the Plan (s 5), table it in the Legislative Assembly for ratification (s 6), prepare the annual progress report (s 12), review the Plan within five years and at intervals not exceeding five years (s 15), and develop and table revised plans if required (ss 16-17). The Premier also appoints and may terminate members of the Ambassadors Council (ss 22, 28-32) and may give the Council directions (s 21). The Premier may delegate functions under the Act to another Minister (s 39).

• Ministers. A Minister whose principal ministerial responsibilities include a key area must promote awareness of that key area and encourage the community, business and industry to have regard to the area and the Plan’s targets when carrying out activities (s 9). The statute defines “principal ministerial responsibility” by reference to administrative arrangements under the Constitution of Queensland 2001, s 44 (s 9(2)).

• The Chief Executive. The chief executive has a publication and inspection obligation: publish the Queensland Plan on a government website and make it available for free inspection during business hours at the department’s head office (s 7).

• Local governments. When preparing a corporate plan that forms part of their system of financial management under the Local Government Act 2009 or City of Brisbane Act 2010, local governments must have regard to the Queensland Plan in deciding the strategic direction of the local government and the performance indicators for measuring progress (s 11). The Act therefore imposes an explicit statutory consideration duty on local governments for certain corporate planning exercises.

• The Ambassadors Council. The Act establishes the Queensland Plan Ambassadors Council and prescribes its composition, functions, appointment, tenure, remuneration and governance (ss 19-38). Members are appointed by the Premier (s 22), must represent community, business/industry or regional Queensland in the Premier’s view (s 22(2)) and must not be an insolvent under administration, be disqualified from managing corporations under Corporations Act Part 2D.6, or have been convicted of an indictable offence (s 23(2)).

Indirectly affected groups

• Community, business and industry. The Act repeatedly targets the community, business and industry as the intended audience and implementers of the Plan (see s 3(b)(iii), s 5(1), s 9(1), s 20). Ministers must encourage those groups to have regard to the Plan, and the Ambassadors Council is charged with promoting awareness and advocating implementation (s 20).

• The Legislative Assembly. Ratification is a parliamentary process; the Assembly’s acceptance provides the statutory effect for the Plan (s 6). The Premier is required to table progress reports in the Assembly by specified dates (s 12).

Who decides and who pays

• The Premier is the central decision-maker for development facilitation, tabling, review timing, Ambassadors Council appointments, directions to the Council, and termination of members (ss 5-6, 12, 15, 21, 22, 28-32). The Act vests significant discretion in the Premier.

• The Premier decides remuneration and allowances for Ambassadors Council members, and the terms and conditions of appointment not provided in the Act (s 25). The statute therefore places the fiscal and administrative cost of the Council on the State’s budget, subject to standard appropriation and supply processes.

Extent of compulsion

• The statutory obligations vary in legal force. Premier-facing duties are mandatory. Ministerial and local government duties are framed as duties to promote, encourage and “have regard to” rather than hard constraints, so the Act affects public authorities mainly by setting considerations and advocacy obligations rather than by imposing enforceable direct regulatory restrictions on private entities.

• The Act binds “all persons” including the State (s 2), but most operative duties in the text fall on public actors described above. There are no express criminal penalties or private rights of action contained in the Act for non-State persons failing to follow the Plan as expressed in the provided text.

Geographic and temporal scope

• The Act is focused on Queensland. The Plan is a long-term vision for the future growth and prosperity of Queensland (s 3). The periodic review cycle is set at not more than five years between reviews (s 15). A transitional provision treats pre-existing plans developed or tabled before commencement as if they had been developed and tabled under the Act (s 43).

In short, the Act primarily affects executive and local government actors, creates a statutory advisory council controlled by the Premier, and intends to influence community, business and industry behaviour through promotion, encouragement and alignment duties rather than by direct compulsion.

This section summarises the operative duties the Act creates, the rights it confers on actors established under it, and the procedural protections embedded in the text.

Duties imposed by the Act

• Premier duties. The Premier must facilitate development of a Plan to provide a long-term vision for key areas (s 5(1)). The Premier must table the Plan in the Legislative Assembly for ratification and, if ratified, the Plan takes effect (s 6). The Premier must prepare an annual progress report for each financial year on implementation progress, consult with the Ambassadors Council when preparing the report, and table it by 30 November following the financial year (s 12). The Premier must also conduct periodic reviews within five years of the Plan taking effect and at intervals not exceeding five years, engage with the Ambassadors Council on the review and engage the community, business and industry in accordance with schedule 1 principles (s 15). If the Plan should be revised, the Premier must develop a revised plan and follow the development process in s 5 and table the revised plan for ratification (ss 16-17).

• Ministerial duties. A Minister whose principal ministerial responsibilities include a Plan key area must promote awareness of the key area within community, business and industry and encourage those groups, in carrying out their activities, to have regard to: the key area; and the targets established by the Queensland Plan for that key area (s 9(1)). “Principal ministerial responsibility” is defined by reference to administrative arrangements under the Constitution of Queensland 2001, s 44 (s 9(2)).

• Chief executive duties. The chief executive must publish the Queensland Plan on a government website and make it available for inspection free of charge during business hours at the department’s head office (s 7).

• Local government duties. A local government preparing a corporate plan that forms part of its system of financial management under the Local Government Act 2009 or the City of Brisbane Act 2010 must have regard to the Queensland Plan when deciding its strategic direction and performance indicators for measuring progress (s 11).

• Ambassadors Council duties. The Ambassadors Council must promote awareness and advocate for implementation of the Plan and advise the Premier on implementation matters (s 20). It must meet at least twice a year (s 34), keep minutes (s 38), and may conduct business in the way it considers appropriate subject to this division (s 33).

Powers and prerogatives

• Appointment and control. The Premier appoints up to 15 members to the Ambassadors Council (s 22). The Premier may give directions in relation to the Council’s performance of functions and the Council must perform its functions subject to the Premier’s general direction and control and any written directions (s 21).

• Delegation. The Premier may delegate any of the Premier’s functions under the Act to another Minister (s 39). The section defines “functions” to include powers.

• Regulatory power. The Governor in Council may make regulations under the Act (s 42).

Rights, protections and procedural guarantees

• Show cause and representations. A member whose appointment the Premier proposes to terminate under s 28 (misconduct, incapacity, neglect/incompetence) must receive a show cause notice specifying the proposed termination, grounds, an outline of facts and circumstances and an opportunity to make written representations within a show cause period that must end at least 28 days after notice is given (s 29). The member may make written representations within that period and the Premier must consider them (s 30). If the Premier, after considering accepted representations, no longer believes a ground exists, the Premier must take no further action and must give notice to the member (s 31). If the Premier still believes a ground exists and termination is warranted, the Premier may terminate and must give written notice; the decision takes effect the day the notice is given (s 32). Those provisions establish a statutory procedural sequence and minimum time for representations prior to termination.

• Tenure limits. A member’s appointment must not exceed five years as stated in the instrument of appointment (s 24).

• Eligibility constraints. A person is ineligible to be appointed to the Ambassadors Council if the person is an insolvent under administration, is disqualified from managing corporations under Corporations Act Part 2D.6, or has been convicted of an indictable offence (s 23(2)). The Premier must be satisfied the person represents community, business or industry or regional Queensland and has the ability to promote the Plan’s vision (s 23(1)).

• Remuneration and conditions. Members are to be paid remuneration and allowances decided by the Premier and hold office on terms and conditions not provided for by the Act as decided by the Premier (s 25). That is an express statutory grant of discretion over pay and terms to the Premier.

Absences and vacancies

• A member’s office becomes vacant on resignation, becoming insolvent under administration, being disqualified from managing corporations under Corporations Act Part 2D.6, conviction of an indictable offence, or termination by the Premier under the Act (s 27). The Deputy Chair acts when the Chair is absent; if both Chair and Deputy are absent a member chosen by the members present presides (s 26, s 35).

Meetings and decision-making

• The Council must meet at least twice yearly (s 34). The quorum is a majority of members for the time being (s 36). Questions are decided by majority vote; the presiding member has a casting vote in case of equality; abstention counts as a negative vote (s 37).

Overall effect

The statute imposes clear mandatory duties on the Premier and specified duties on Ministers and local governments requiring consideration and encouragement. It provides members of the Ambassadors Council with procedural protections against summary termination by the Premier via a show cause and representation process. Many powers and fiscal decisions (appointments, remuneration, terms) are concentrated in the Premier’s discretion.

The Act, in the text provided, relies principally on administrative levers, publicity and parliamentary ratification rather than on explicit criminal or civil sanctions. The key enforcement and compliance features, and important absences, are:

Absence of general criminal sanctions or civil enforcement for Plan non-compliance

• The Act contains no express criminal offences for failing to implement, follow or comply with the Queensland Plan. The Plan becomes effective on ratification (s 6) and actors are required to promote, encourage and have regard to the Plan in specific contexts, but the text does not create monetary penalties, fines, or private causes of action for a failure by Ministers, local government or private parties to follow the Plan. The obligation on Ministers is to promote and encourage (s 9); on local government the duty is to have regard to the Plan when preparing corporate plans under specified statutory provisions (s 11). Those duties are framed as consideration and encouragement obligations rather than prohibitions or requirements that attract penal consequences.

Targeted statutory enforcement for Ambassadors Council membership and removal

• The Act creates internally enforceable eligibility and termination mechanisms for Ambassadors Council members. Eligibility is excluded by insolvency, Corporations Act disqualification and conviction for an indictable offence (s 23(2)). The Premier may terminate appointments where satisfied that a member has been guilty of misconduct, is incapable of performing duties, or has neglected or performed duties incompetently (s 28). However, termination is subject to a statutory procedural sequence that includes a show cause notice with particulars and a minimum 28 day show cause period for written representations (ss 29-31), after which the Premier may terminate with written notice; the decision takes effect on notice (s 32). These provisions are administrative controls rather than criminal sanctions.

Administrative controls and executive oversight

• The Act vests control over the Ambassadors Council in the Premier. The Premier may give directions to the Council and requires the Council to perform its functions subject to the Premier’s general direction and control and any specific written directions (s 21). A direction may require the Council to give the Premier information in its possession (s 21(3)). The Premier also decides remuneration, terms and conditions, appoints the Chair and Deputy, and may terminate appointments within the statutory grounds (ss 25-26, 28-32). Those powers are enforceable through administrative channels and the budgetary process.

Report and parliamentary accountability

• The Premier must prepare and table an annual progress report on implementation in the Legislative Assembly by 30 November after the financial year in question, and must consult the Ambassadors Council in preparing the report (s 12). Parliamentary tabling creates political and parliamentary accountability but is not an enforcement mechanism that imposes statutory penalties for non-compliance.

Potential for regulation to add enforcement mechanisms

• The Governor in Council may make regulations under the Act (s 42). The Act does not specify whether regulations may create offences or penalties. In principle regulation-making power could be used to prescribe more detailed compliance obligations or enforcement mechanisms, but none are contained in the text provided.

Practical enforcement reality

• Where behaviour is required only to be “had regard to” (s 11) or “encouraged” (s 9), enforcement tends to be political, reputational or administrative rather than criminal. The Act’s express enforcement apparatus focuses on governance of the Ambassadors Council; the wider implementation depends on promotion, alignment of local government corporate plans and periodic review rather than statutory compulsion.

In summary, the Act creates administrative governance and reporting obligations with internal controls for the Ambassadors Council and mandatory duties for the Premier, but it does not establish general criminal penalties or civil remedies for private or public entities that fail to implement or adhere to the Queensland Plan within the scope of the provided text.

The Act expressly cross-references and interacts with several other statutory instruments and legal frameworks. The principal interaction points are procedural, definitional and institutional.

Local government legislation

• Section 11 ties the Queensland Plan to the local government planning regime by requiring local governments preparing a corporate plan, as defined for the purposes of the Local Government Act 2009, s 104(5)(a) or the City of Brisbane Act 2010, s 103(1)(b), to have regard to the Queensland Plan in deciding strategic direction and performance indicators (s 11(2)-(3)). This is a direct statutory linkage: the Act supplements the content to be considered in corporate planning under those Acts by imposing a “have regard to” duty for certain corporate plans that form part of the local government’s system of financial management.

Executive administrative arrangements and ministerial responsibility

• Section 9(2) defines “principal ministerial responsibility” for the purposes of the Ministerial promotion obligation by reference to administrative arrangements made under the Constitution of Queensland 2001, s 44. That cross-reference ties the ministerial obligations under the Queensland Plan Act into the existing machinery for allocating departmental responsibilities by administrative arrangement. It means practical application of s 9 depends on how responsibilities are assigned under the Constitution and any subsequent administrative reassignments.

Corporations Act disqualification

• The Act disqualifies certain persons from appointment to the Ambassadors Council if they are disqualified from managing corporations under Corporations Act Part 2D.6 (s 23(2)). The Act therefore imports a federal statutory disqualification regime into eligibility criteria for the State advisory body.

Parliamentary procedure and ratification

• Ratification of the Plan occurs in the Legislative Assembly (s 6). The Act does not spell out the parliamentary procedure for ratification; that interaction is with the Assembly’s standing orders and usual parliamentary processes. The Act’s effect occurs once the Assembly ratifies the plan.

Administrative law and review

• While the Act does not set out appeal routes for most executive decisions under it, the procedural structure for termination of Ambassadors Council members creates a statutory administrative process (ss 29-32). Decisions of Ministers, the Premier and administrative agencies under the Act may sit within the broader administrative law framework for judicial review and public law remedies, although the Act does not itself create or limit judicial review rights.

Schedules and definitions

• The Act requires that the Plan be developed having regard to schedule 1 principles (s 5(3)(a)) and that defined words appear in schedule 2 (s 4). Effective interpretation and operation of the Act therefore depends on the content of those schedules. They are part of the Act and interact with the substantive sections by supplying principles and definitions. The absence of the schedules in the provided text means the full statutory context requires examination of the schedules in the consolidated Act.

Transitional provisions

• Section 43 provides a mechanism to treat a plan developed or tabled before the commencement of the relevant provisions as though the Plan had been developed and tabled under the Act (s 43). That connects pre-existing executive action with the statutory framework and prevents procedural gaps where a Plan already exists.

Regulation-making power

• Section 42 enables the Governor in Council to make regulations under the Act. Regulations typically interact with the enabling statute to set out procedural detail, forms, timeframes and potentially enforcement mechanisms. The Act therefore contemplates further interaction with subordinate legislation.

In short, interaction with other laws is concentrated on local government corporate planning statutes, the Constitution of Queensland 2001 for administrative arrangements, the Corporations Act for disqualification rules, and the legislative and regulatory machinery of the State for ratification and subordinate rule-making. Practitioners should read the Act alongside the referenced provisions to identify practical overlaps, particularly in the corporate planning and administrative allocation contexts.

The statute text provided includes explicit amendment markers embedded in the text. The Act as supplied indicates specific amendments and omissions enacted in later instruments. The textual markers present in the supplied material show the following recorded changes or editorial annotations:

• Section 3. The source text shows an amendment annotation: “s 3 amd 2016 No. 64 s 39”. That indicates s 3 was amended by Act number 64 of 2016, section 39. The body of s 3 in the supplied text also shows repeated fragments and duplication consistent with editorial insertion following amendment. The operative statutory language of s 3 in the present text is the consolidated amended text.

• Section 5. The s 5 text includes “(sec.5-ssec.1) … (sec.5-ssec.3)”, which reproduces subsection numbering. There are no explicit amendment dates in the main text for s 5 beyond the consolidated form shown, but the presence of “s 5-ssec.x” style suggests consolidation formatting.

• Section 8. The text shows “s 8 sub 2016 No. 64 s 40”, indicating s 8 was sub‑amended or substituted by the 2016 No. 64 instrument, s 40. The parentheses in the supplied text reproduce the current operative form.

• Section 10. The supplied text includes “s 10 om 2016 No. 64 s 41”, which explicitly states s 10 was omitted by the 2016 No. 64 instrument (s 41). That indicates the Act originally contained a s 10 that was later removed.

• Section 11. There is an annotation “s 11 amd 2016 No. 64 s 43”, showing s 11 was amended by the same 2016 amending Act. The text supplied reflects the amended wording, including the cross-reference to the Local Government Act 2009 and the City of Brisbane Act 2010 in defining “corporate plan”.

• Sections 12-14. The file shows “s 13 om 2016 No. 64 s 44” and “s 14 om 2016 No. 64 s 44”, indicating those sections were omitted by the 2016 amending Act as well.

• Section 15. The section includes “(sec.15-ssec.1) …” and “s 15-ssec.3 …” with no direct amendment notation in the block, but elsewhere in the document s 18 and s 40 have omission markers.

• Sections 18, 40-41. The supplied text includes “s 18 om 2016 No. 64 s 46” and “s 40 om 2016 No. 64 s 47”, “s 41 om 2016 No. 64 s 47”, indicating further deletions enacted by the 2016 Act.

• Sections 23 and 27. There is an annotation “s 23 amd 2023 No. 23 s 247 sch 1 s 2 (2)” and “s 27 amd 2023 No. 23 s 247 sch 1 s 2 (2)”. Those markers indicate amendments effected by Act number 23 of 2023, schedule 1, section 247, itemised in schedule 1 to that Act, altering s 23 and s 27 with the referenced schedule provision. The text for s 23 and s 27 within the supplied material reflects those later amendments, for example adding disqualification due to conviction of an indictable offence.

• Section 29-32. The show cause and procedural provisions are present in the consolidated text; no separate amendment markers appear in the supplied copy beyond the usual consolidation formatting.

• Transitional provision. Section 43 is present and makes provision for pre-commencement plans to be taken as developed or tabled under the Act.

What this means for a practitioner

• The supplied Act is a consolidated text reflecting amendments at least in 2016 and 2023. The 2016 instrument (No. 64) appears to have removed several sections, amended others and omitted particular provisions. The 2023 instrument (No. 23) made at least the changes to eligibility and vacancy provisions for Ambassadors Council members (s 23 and s 27).

• The presence of “om” (omitted) and “amd” (amended) markers indicates substantive redrafting occurred in the amending instruments. For accurate historical tracing, practitioners should consult the 2016 No. 64 amending Act and the 2023 No. 23 amending Act (and any other amending instruments) in full. The Act’s consolidated form should be verified in the authoritative source (the Queensland legislation database) for current operative text and to confirm whether additional amendments exist beyond those visible in the supplied material.

• The consolidated text in this note should be treated as a guide that reflects the annotations supplied. For formal advice, confirm the citation details, the amending instruments (2016 No. 64 s 39, s 40, s 41, s 43, s 44, s 46; 2023 No. 23 s 247 sch 1 s 2(2) as indicated), and examine the versions of the Act before and after those dates to understand transitional arrangements and the provenance of omissions.

In short, the supplied document shows recorded amendments in 2016 and 2023 with deletions and changes to multiple sections. A practitioner must check the consolidated statute on the official Queensland legislation site to ensure they are working with the current operative wording and to obtain the full text of schedules and any additional amending instruments.

The Act as supplied does not record any cases or litigation history. There are no judicial decisions, appeals or case names embedded in the statutory text provided. Consequently, there is no statutory text-based litigation history to summarise from this document alone.

Observations relevant to potential litigation risk and review pathways

• Administrative decisions under the Act that create immediate legal effects include appointments and terminations of Ambassadors Council members, and the Premier’s tabling/ratification function has parliamentary consequences. The Act prescribes a procedural sequence for termination of members including a show cause notice, an opportunity to make written representations and a decision with written notice (ss 29-32). Those statutory processes may be material in any challenge to a termination decision.

• The Act does not create statutory appeal mechanisms or specified internal merits review procedures beyond the show cause/representation process for Ambassadors Council members. Where administrative decisions are made under the Act (for example, appointments, terminations, directions to the Ambassadors Council or publication obligations), affected persons may, in practice, consider common law or equitable remedies such as judicial review for jurisdictional error, procedural fairness failures or unreasonableness. The Act does not purport to oust judicial review in its text.

• Ratification by the Legislative Assembly is a parliamentary process. Courts are generally reluctant to interfere with parliamentary proceedings or to police internal parliamentary decision-making; the Act’s ratification mechanism therefore engages different institutional check points, predominantly political and parliamentary scrutiny rather than judicial.

• The Act’s publication and reporting duties (s 7, s 12) create obligations that are amenable to political, reputational and parliamentary accountability. The statute does not specify sanctions for failure to publish the Plan or table reports within the time prescribed, which suggests remedies for failure would be political or judicial review of any affected administrative act rather than statute-prescribed penalties.

What to do if litigation may be contemplated

• If an adverse administrative decision is made under the Act (for example, a termination of appointment) consider whether the statutory show cause process was complied with, whether procedural fairness obligations in the Act were observed, and whether any relevant delegated administrative decision complied with statutory preconditions. The Act’s text on show cause and representations (ss 29-31) sets out minimum process requirements.

• If a decision is challenged on judicial review grounds, litigants will need to look beyond the Act for legal standards and precedent that govern reviewability, standing and remedies; the Act itself does not set litigation pathways.

This section does not invent case law or assert that particular judicial outcomes are likely. It records that the Act contains no recorded litigation history in the provided text and signals the principal administrative processes in the Act that could be relevant in any future legal challenge.

The Act contains features and drafting choices that may produce practical pitfalls and points of confusion for practitioners, public officers and local governments. The items below are concrete mechanics-based “gotchas” drawn from the statutory text.

“Have regard to” is not the same as “must comply”

• Local government corporate plans must “have regard to” the Queensland Plan when deciding strategic direction and performance indicators (s 11). In administrative law and statutory interpretation practice, “have regard to” is a weaker obligation than a mandatory substantive requirement. It requires consideration and weighing of the Plan, but does not prescribe specific outcomes or require subordination of other statutory obligations. Practitioners drafting corporate plans should document how the Queensland Plan was considered and why particular strategic directions or indicators were chosen, to demonstrate the “having regard to” process.

Premier’s concentrated discretion over appointments, remuneration and dismissal

• The Premier appoints up to 15 members and determines remuneration and allowances and other terms and conditions not provided for in the Act (ss 22, 25). The Premier also has the power to give directions to the Ambassadors Council and to terminate appointments for misconduct, incapacity, neglect or incompetence (ss 21, 28). Although termination is subject to a show cause and representation process (ss 29-32), the breadth of Premier discretion over membership composition, pay and termination creates potential governance concentration. Practitioners advising prospective appointees should carefully consider the eligibility criteria and the practical implications of the Premier’s control.

Eligibility disqualifications , insolvency, Corporations Act disqualification, indictable convictions

• A person is ineligible for appointment if they are an insolvent under administration, disqualified under Corporations Act Part 2D.6, or have been convicted of an indictable offence (s 23(2)). Those disqualifications may not be obvious to all prospective appointees. Advisers should ensure pre-appointment checks are done because subsequent vacancy triggered by insolvency or conviction is statutory and immediate under s 27.

Show cause timing and effect of notice

• The show cause period must end at least 28 days after the member is given the show cause notice (s 29(3)). If termination follows, the decision takes effect on the day the written notice is given (s 32(4)). The letter of timing matters. A procedural mis-step in giving notice or in considering accepted representations could be material for an administrative law challenge. The Premier must consider all accepted representations (s 30(2)), and if, after considering them, no ground exists, the Premier is statutorily required to give notice that no further action will be taken (s 31).

Ambassadors Council is advisory and politically controlled

• The Council’s functions are promotion, advocacy and advice (s 20). The Council must act subject to the Premier’s general direction and control (s 21(2)). Practitioners should not treat the Council’s functions as independent or binding on agencies; the Council does not have decision-making power over public policy, budget allocations or local government actions under the Act.

Publication and inspection obligations

• The chief executive must publish the Queensland Plan on a government website and make it available for inspection free of charge at the department head office during business hours (s 7). Failure to publish or make available may be politically and reputationally significant and could give rise to parliamentary questions, but the Act does not specify penalties. For transparency compliance, agencies should log publication actions and provide access coordinates.

Ambiguity about scope of “key areas” and “principles”

• Section 5(2) lists example key areas but frames them as examples. The Plan must be developed having regard to schedule 1 principles (s 5(3)(a)), yet the schedules are not present in the supplied text. Practitioners must consult the full Act to see the schedule content. The absence of schedule text in a given distribution could lead to misapplication of the Plan’s development or consultation processes.

Reporting deadline with parliamentary timing implications

• The Premier must table the annual progress report by 30 November following the relevant financial year (s 12(3)). Missing the deadline may raise parliamentary criticism. Ensure report preparation timelines take account of the mandated consultation with the Ambassadors Council (s 12(2)).

Regulation-making power could change compliance landscape

• The Governor in Council may make regulations under the Act (s 42). Future regulations could alter compliance obligations and introduce more prescriptive requirements or enforcement mechanisms. Keep statutory instruments under active review.

Ambiguities created by historical omissions and amendments

• Several sections were omitted or amended in 2016 and 2023 (see amendment markers). If practitioners are relying on historical versions of the Act (for example, for transitional arrangements), they must check the precise commencement dates of amendments and transitional provisions in the relevant amending Acts. Section 43 provides a transitional mechanism for pre-existing plans but practitioners should confirm applicability to their plan.

Quorum and abstention rules

• Meeting decisions are taken by majority, the presiding member has a casting vote where votes are equal, and a member who abstains is taken to have voted for the negative (s 37). That last rule can be a tactical issue in close votes. Council members and secretariats should record votes carefully and be aware that abstaining is equivalent to a negative vote.

No express enforcement against private entities

• The Act binds all persons (s 2), but contains no express offences or private rights of action for private entities in relation to adherence to the Plan. Expect implementation to depend on persuasion, incentives and alignment between State and local government planning rather than statutory sanctions.

Taken together, these features create practical pitfalls around procedural compliance, documentation of “have regard to” decisions, Premier control over Council governance, and the need to track subordinate legislative changes. Practitioners should build process checklists for appointment vetting, show cause procedures, publication obligations and local government corporate-plan integration.

This section sets out practical compliance steps and a checklist mapped to the relevant sections of the Act for the principal actors: the Premier’s office, Ministers, the chief executive’s department, local governments, and Ambassadors Council members/secretariats.

For the Premier’s office

• Plan development facilitation. Ensure records exist demonstrating facilitation of Plan development in accordance with s 5. Assemble documentation that the Plan development considered the principles in schedule 1 (s 5(3)(a)), set out strategic directions and included targets and measures (s 5(3)(b)-(c)).

• Legislative tabling and ratification. Arrange timely tabling in the Legislative Assembly as required by s 6. Track parliamentary timetables and secure resources for briefing and supporting parliamentary processes.

• Annual reporting. Establish a reporting calendar to produce the annual progress report for each financial year on implementation progress (s 12(1)). Allow time to consult the Ambassadors Council during report preparation (s 12(2)). Ensure the report is tabled in the Legislative Assembly by 30 November following the financial year (s 12(3)).

• Reviews. Set a statutory review timeline to conduct the first review within five years of the Plan taking effect and at intervals not more than five years thereafter (s 15(1)). Document consultation with the Ambassadors Council and community engagement in accordance with schedule 1 principles (s 15(3)). If revising the Plan, follow the s 5 development requirements and tabling process in ss 16-17.

• Appointments and governance. For Ambassadors Council appointments, document the Premier’s reasons that appointees collectively represent the community, business/industry and regional Queensland as required by s 22(2). Ensure remuneration and conditions decisions are recorded and compliant with public sector remuneration policies (s 25).

• Directions and information requests. If issuing directions to the Ambassadors Council under s 21, use written directions and specify any required information access to the Premier in accordance with s 21(3).

For Ministers

• Promotion duties. Identify which ministers have principal ministerial responsibilities for Plan key areas under administrative arrangements (s 9(2)). Develop communications and stakeholder engagement plans to promote awareness of relevant key areas within community, business and industry, and to encourage them to have regard to the key area and Plan targets (s 9(1)).

• Record-keeping. Keep records of promotional activities, guidance issued, and outreach to business and industry to document statutory compliance and stewardship.

For the chief executive and departmental staff

• Publication and access. Publish the ratified Queensland Plan on an official government website and ensure a print or electronic copy is available for inspection free of charge during business hours at the department’s head office (s 7). Record publication date and the URL, maintain an up-to-date public-facing copy, and provide a clear inspection process.

• Secretariat function. Provide minutes and administrative support to the Ambassadors Council (s 38) and help coordinate the Council’s meetings to meet the minimum twice-yearly requirement (s 34).

For local governments

• Corporate plan processes. When preparing corporate plans that form part of the system of financial management (as defined by Local Government Act 2009 s 104(5)(a) or City of Brisbane Act 2010 s 103(1)(b)), ensure an explicit step in the corporate plan process is to consider the Queensland Plan and document how the Plan was had regard to in deciding the strategic direction and performance indicators (s 11).

• Documentation and audit trail. Create an audit trail reproducing the internal deliberation showing the Plan’s consideration. Provide rationale where the Plan’s targets are not adopted or where local priorities differ, so the “have regard to” requirement is defensible and transparent.

For Ambassadors Council members and secretariat

• Eligibility checks. Before appointment, confirm the absence of disqualification grounds: not an insolvent under administration, not disqualified under Corporations Act Part 2D.6, and no conviction for an indictable offence (s 23(2)). Maintain updated status checks to avoid automatic vacancy grounds under s 27.

• Tenure and remuneration. Ensure appointment instruments specify a term not exceeding five years (s 24). Confirm remuneration and allowances are set and documented in accordance with s 25.

• Meeting governance. Schedule and convene at least two meetings per year (s 34). Ensure quorum rules are observed (majority of members for the time being) (s 36), document votes and minutes (s 38), and if meetings use technology, confirm that communication is reasonably contemporaneous and continuous so participants are taken to be present (s 37(4)-(5)).

• Show cause processes. If a show cause notice is received, prepare written representations within the minimum 28 day show cause period (s 29(3), s 30(1)). Retain copies of accepted representations and correspondence. If acting in an administrative support role, ensure timely processing and careful record-keeping to evidence the Premier’s consideration.

Cross-cutting compliance items

• Schedule 1 and 2. Obtain and study schedule 1 (principles) and schedule 2 (dictionary) because the Plan must be developed in accordance with those principles and definitions are supplied in the dictionary (s 5(3)(a), s 4). Failure to follow schedule 1 prescribed engagement processes may undermine the Plan’s procedural integrity.

• Regulations. Monitor subordinate legislation made under s 42; regulations could impose additional duties or procedural requirements.

• Delegation records. If the Premier delegates functions to another Minister under s 39, record delegation instruments, scope, and any conditions, and ensure delegates understand statutory duties and reporting requirements.

• Publication and transparency. Make sure publication and tabled documents are accessible, archived and referenced in agency reporting systems. Publication fulfils statutory obligations and supports transparency and parliamentary scrutiny.

Checklist (mapped to sections)

• s 5: Document Plan development steps, evidence consideration of schedule 1 principles, include targets and measures.
• s 6: Table Plan in Legislative Assembly; retain proof of tabling and ratification.
• s 7: Publish Plan online and make available at head office; log publication.
• s 8: Ensure Premier considers Plan in preparing community objectives statement.
• s 9: Ministers identify responsibilities and maintain records of promotion and encouragement activities.
• s 11: Local governments document how corporate plans had regard to the Plan and justify performance indicators.
• s 12: Prepare annual report; consult Ambassadors Council; table by 30 November.
• s 15-17: Schedule and document statutory reviews and any Plan revisions; consult Ambassadors Council and community per schedule 1.
• ss 19-21: Establish Council functions, document any directions and information requests from Premier.
• ss 22-27: Vet appointees for eligibility; set terms not exceeding five years; document remuneration; follow vacancy and termination rules.
• ss 29-32: If termination is contemplated, issue show cause notice and allow at least 28 days for representations; consider and document accepted representations; provide required notices.
• s 34-38: Meet twice yearly minimum; record minutes; observe quorum and voting rules.
• s 39: Record any delegations from the Premier to other Ministers.
• s 42: Watch for regulations and update compliance procedures accordingly.
• s 43: Check whether an existing plan is to be treated as the original plan under transitional arrangements.

Following these actions will place responsible agencies and participants in a position to demonstrate statutory compliance and to meet the administrative, documentation and transparency expectations embedded in the Act.