Department of Housing and Public Works

HPW is overseen by its Minister, Hon Mick de Brenni, the member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Springwood. He represents the Australian Labor Party. In addition, he is also the Minister for Digital Technology and Minister for Sport, and has held these three ministerial roles since 12 December 2017.[5] In his roles, the Minister is also responsible for: Stadiums Queensland, the Residential Tenancies Authority, the Queensland Building Construction Commission, the Board of Professional Engineers, and the Board of Architects.[16]

The department is run day-to-day under the leadership of its Director-General, Liza Carrol. Having started the role of Director-General on 3 August 2015, Carrol formerly held the role of Associate Secretary (Head of Indigenous Affairs) for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and before that, the Deputy Secretary for the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Carrol holds a Bachelor of Education and a Master of Education (Hons), majoring in Sociology. Carrol was also awarded the Public Service Medal for her work on the "Ahead of the Game: Blueprint for Reform in the Australian Public Service" project.[6][17]

Under the Minister and the Director-General, HPW has three Deputy Director-Generals (Housing, Homelessness and Sport; Building Policy and Asset Management; Portfolio Strategy), an Assistant Director-General, and the Chief Customer and Digital Officer, as well as a Transition Advisor. The Deputy Director-General (Portfolio Strategy) also operates as the Chief Advisor Queensland Government Procurement. The other two Deputy Director-Generals (Housing, Homelessness and Sport; Building Policy and Asset Management) are also supported by their own Assistant Director-General.[16]

Queensland Shared Services (QSS) is an agency within HPW that provides whole-of-government support and services. QSS supports departments by operating public and internally facing services such as government human resources (including payroll), finance, procurement, telecommunications, and mail services.[15] QSS provides services to 27 of the 29 Queensland Government departments, excluding only Education Queensland and Queensland Health.[14] Resident-facing services, such as the 13 QGOV (13 74 68) phone number and the Queensland Government website, are managed by a division within QSS called Smart Service Queensland.[18][19] QSS is part of the Queensland Government Consumer and Digital Group within HPW.[20]

QFleet is the Queensland Government's vehicle fleet management agency, lying within HPW. QFleet provides vehicle procurement, sales, leasing, maintenance, safety, and policy services to Queensland Government departments, and government-funded entities such as statutory authorities, government owned corporations, some local governments, and some not-for-profit organisations.[21]

The Queensland State Archives are the governance and culture archives of all of Queensland. Queensland State Archives is part of the Queensland Government Consumer and Digital Group within HPW.[20]

HPW, hinted by its name, is primarily responsible for housing and homelessness services throughout Queensland. They provide commercial renting and tenancy support, crisis accommodation and state housing services through the Queensland Government's Service Centres in Brisbane, Cairns and Maroochydore. In more regional areas, HPW provides their services through their own Housing Service Centres.[7][22]

Through internal agencies, like Queensland Shared Services and QFleet,[12] HPW is also responsible for providing support to Queensland Government agencies, including procurement support.[13]

HPW is also responsible for other elements of governance, often in collaboration with other departments, agencies, and authorities. These governing responsibilities include:

• sport and recreation[9]
• building and plumbing[8]
• digital services[10]
• urban design and architecture[11]

Beyond this, HPW also administrative and consumer services to the Queensland Government. These services include Smart Service Queensland and the Queensland State Archives.[20]

The Housing Legislation (Building Better Futures) Amendment Act 2017 includes amendments to several acts, for which HPW is responsible for providing support to the relevant industries. The acts amended are:

• Manufactured Homes (Residential Parks) Act 2003[25]
• Residential Services (Accreditation) Act 2002[26]
  • Residential Services (Accreditation) Regulation 2018
• Retirement Villages Act 1999[27]
• Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008[28]

Old Government House

The Lands and Works Department was created in 1862.[29]

In 1866, the Lands and Works Department was divided into the Lands Department and the Public Works Department.[29]

The Public Works Department merges with the Mines Department.[29]

The Public Works Department was established from the former Mines and Works Department.[29]

The early 20th century marks the Queensland Government's first involvement in housing when it introduces The Workers' Dwellings Act 1909 to provide subsidised housing for workers.[29]

The Workers' Dwelling Branch is established shortly after and is responsible for lending money and providing house construction expertise to Queenslanders.[29]

In Queensland's early years, the Workers' Dwelling Act 1909 financed the construction of basic four to six-room dwellings.[30]

The Workers' Dwellings Branch was transferred to the State Advances Corporation.[29]

Australia was at war from 1939 to 1945. During this time, Townsville became a major military base for both Australian and overseas Armed Forces. It was therefore deemed necessary for Public Works staff to relocate to the area to assist with defence projects. Substantial quantities of materials were required for these projects and procurement and transportation was rapid. As a result, the department becomes heavily involved in defence projects including the construction of the Garbutt Air Base, large warehouses at depots at Macrossan and Breddan, and a military hospital at Blackwater.[29] The department was also involved in procuring and sending food supplies.[31] The Department of Public Works' Townsville office becomes the epicentre for the department's work during World War II.

As the war escalated, Townsville was deemed too dangerous for Works staff due to the imminent risk of bombing and invasion. It was decided therefore that offices were to be moved to Charters Towers. Staff remained there for several months. On the night of their return to Townsville, Japanese bombs were dropped on the city. No lives were lost and structural damage was minimal.[31]

Post-war reconstruction including housing provision was a top priority for the State and Commonwealth Governments. In 1945, Queensland Premier Frank Cooper signed the Commonwealth and State Housing Agreement with the five other states. The Commonwealth Government's increased contribution was recognition that housing had become a national problem and heralded the beginning of significant federal-state involvement in Australian housing policy and public rental home construction. A few days later, the Queensland Housing Commission was established.[32]

To meet the demand for housing, the Queensland Housing Commission started building the State's first rental homes.[33]

During the next three decades, the Queensland Housing Commission faced a changing Queensland population.[29]

With alterations to the Family Law Act introducing no-fault divorce, the 1970s saw movement away from the nuclear family with a growing number of single parent households. An increasing number of households were of people living alone, older people or people with a disability, all with special housing needs which had to be considered.[29]

To meet changing client demand, the Commission branched out from large estate developments to unit blocks and attached houses.[29]

Design begins on the most significant group of public buildings ever completed by the state – the Queensland Cultural Centre.[29]

The Queensland Cabinet initially asks the Public Works Department to investigate the feasibility and construction cost of a new art gallery to replace the state's aging gallery in Bowen Bridge Road. The site nominated for the building is on the South Bank of the Brisbane River.[29]

By January 1975 the project has expanded to include not only the Art Gallery but also a Performing Arts Centre, Museum and State Library. Together these buildings become known as the Queensland Cultural Centre.[29]

The Administrative Services Department is established which includes the former Public Works Department. In the same year, the Department of Housing and Local Government is formed. This department becomes the face of housing provision in Queensland. While the Commission continues to exist as a legal entity for almost another 15 years, the creation of the department sees the emergence of a whole new philosophy of service provision.[29]

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Planning is formed. Responsibility for the Aboriginal Rental Housing program transfers to the Queensland Department of Housing, Local Government and Planning.[29]

The Public Works and Housing Department is formed.[29]

The Public Works and Housing Department separates into two portfolios. The Department of Housing is formed as a single entity dedicated to meeting Queensland's housing needs. This reinforces the importance of housing for Queenslanders as the cornerstone for a healthier and more stable life.[29]

The Smart Housing initiative was introduced.[29] The Community Renewal program was established.[29]

The department wins the Royal Australian Institute of Architects' Harry Marks Sustainable Architectural Award for the design of Redcliffe City Council library and gallery.[29]

QFleet won the Australasian Fleet Managers Association (AFMA) 2002 Fleet Environment Award for its ongoing corporate fleet environment practices. QFleet also became the first organisation to receive all three of AFMA's major industry awards, also winning the Fleet Safety Award and later the Fleet Manager of the Year award.[29]

In the same year, the Department of Public Works was recognised for its heritage conservation efforts with a gold award, the John Herbert Heritage Award from the National Trust of Queensland for the restoration of the 173-year-old convict-built Commissariat Store in William Street, Brisbane.[29]

So in 2003, after many years of development and consultation, new housing legislation was tabled in Parliament to replace the obsolete State Housing Act 1945 and to provide a modern basis for the Department of Housing's activities. In January 2004, the Housing Act 2003 took effect and officially marked the end of 58 years of the Queensland Housing Commission.[34]

The legislation was a turning point that provided an opportunity to reflect on close to 60 years of hard work, innovation and commitment to meeting housing need in Queensland, through times of hardship and prosperity. It also allowed the department to embrace the changing direction its activities had taken and to pursue new partnerships and solutions.[34]

The department assumes a leadership role for the Queensland Government's four-year Responding to Homelessness initiative after earlier leading work aimed at improving cross-agency responses to homelessness.[29]

The department commences RentConnect, and becomes the Queensland conduit for the National Rental Affordability Scheme, a Federal and State Government initiative to stimulate the supply of 50,000 new affordable rental dwellings across Australia.[29]

The Department of Housing and Public Works is formed from the previous departments of Housing and Public Works.[29]