Committee Details

Overview

Role of the Auditor-General 

The role of the Auditor-General is to provide Parliament with independent assurance of public sector accountability and performance. This is achieved through reporting to Parliament on the results of its financial and performance audits.

About the Auditor-General Report

The purpose of the report was to examine the institutional framework for how invasive species are managed in Queensland, how risks are prioritised, and the effectiveness of programs. The report also included a case study on the management of red imported fire ants.

The report made 8 recommendations to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (department). These were that the department should:

• strengthen its leadership and coordination role by setting strategic priorities, prioritising funding and coordinating and overseeing activities across Queensland
• review the Biosecurity Act 2014 (Act) to ensure the department has the necessary clarity, authority, and responsibility to lead, coordinate, and enforce Queensland’s biosecurity system
• review, update and implement the Queensland invasive plants and animals strategy 2019-2024 to:
  • identify current and future challenges and priorities for Queensland’s biosecurity system and provide practical solution to address them
  • clearly define Biosecurity Queensland’s leadership role including coordinating and working with councils and stakeholders responsible for established invasive species
  • include performance measurement indicators across the biosecurity system
  • better align with the Department of Environment and Science’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy.
• improve tracking invasive species and how it manages them by:
  • determining if Biosecurity Online Resources and Information System (BORIS) has required functionality
  • auditing and reporting on the quality of data held on BORIS
  • developing processes to analyse data for trends and using this in decision making.
• develop and implement a framework for assessing and mitigating the risk of new and established invasive species.
• provide greater education to local councils on their powers under the Act, including when to issue orders and best practices regulating invasive species.
• strengthen its approach to assessing the National Fire Ant Eradication Program.
• report regularly on the outcomes of its activities and the extent of eradication of fire ants.

Referral to Committee 

Standing Order 194B provides that the Committee of the Legislative Assembly shall as soon as practicable after a report of the Auditor-General is tabled in the Assembly refer that report to the relevant portfolio committee(s) for consideration. 

The committee is responsible under section 94 of the Parliament of Queensland Act 2001 for assessing the integrity, economy, efficiency and effectiveness of government financial management by examining government financial documents and considering reports of the Auditor-General.

The Committee of the Legislative Assembly referred this Auditor-General’s report to the former State development and Regional Industries Committee on 24 August 2023. On 13 February 2024, the Legislative Assembly amended Schedule 6 of the Standing Rules and Orders of the Legislative Assembly, establishing the Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee, and transferred this Auditor-General's report to the Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee for consideration.