What it does
The State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971 (the Act) is Queensland's foundational statute for the coordinated delivery of major infrastructure, economic development, and environmental oversight. At its core, the Act constitutes the Coordinator-General as a corporation sole (s 8) with perpetual succession, an official seal, and the capacity to sue and be sued. The Coordinator-General represents the Crown (s 9) and is charged with administering the Act under the relevant Minister (s 3).
The Act operates across three principal domains:
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Administration and institutional framework (Part 2). It provides for the appointment, tenure, and termination of the Coordinator-General and Deputy Coordinator-General (ss 4–7A), delegation of powers (s 11, subject to s 111), and the establishment of project boards or advisory structures where needed. Public sector cooperation is mandated: local governments, departmental chief executives, Crown instrumentalities, and their employees must consult, furnish information, and make services available to the Coordinator-General (s 13). The Coordinator-General may appoint staff, technical advisers, and inquiry commissioners (ss 12, 14–16).
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Program of works (Part 3). The Coordinator-General must prepare, submit for Governor in Council approval, and implement rolling programs of public works and development (ss 17–23). These programs must have regard to orderly sequencing, employment creation, regional equity, avoidance of duplication, and productive investment (s 23). Local government funding applications are vetted through the Coordinator-General (s 22).
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Environmental coordination and assessment (Part 4). This is the Act's most substantial and frequently amended component. It establishes a tiered regime for :