Annual Reports 2017-18

[ozbob]

Now available TMR and QR

>> https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-assembly/tabled-papers/online-tabled-papers

[ozbob]

Reduced file size pdfs

Queensland Rail Annual Report > https://backontrack.org/docs/qr/QR_AR17-18.pdf  PDF 10.8 MB

TMR Annual Report > https://backontrack.org/docs/tmr/TMR_AR17-18.pdf PDF 25.1 MB

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Government's late night document dump a train wreck

QUEENSLAND Rail is still plagued by dysfunction two years on from the state's "Rail Fail", an astonishing late-night document drop by the State Government has revealed.

The Palaszczuk Government — which swept to power in 2015 promising a new era of transparency — has been slammed for releasing 75 annual reports on the performance of departments and agencies late on Friday as Queenslanders headed into Grand Final weekend.

The reports were published in three batches from 3.30pm, with The Sunday Mail notified of the final and largest lot of documents at 9.54pm.

Revelations include Stadiums Queensland reporting an operating loss of more than $20 million; Queensland Health failing to meet treatment efficiency targets; shocking revelations of drug use among parents dealt with by Child Safety; and Queensland motorists being fined to the tune of $250,000 a day.

The most alarming findings were in the QR annual report, which revealed staff were taking sick leave at a much higher rate than expected.

The annual report showed unscheduled absences were running at 12.45 days per employee, well ahead of the target of 10.25 days.

The revelation comes amid a new wave of disruption on the rail network. On Friday, the Fair Work Commission ruled the Rail Tram and Bus Union had orchestrated more than 100 drivers and guards calling in sick that day in an act of illegal industrial action.

QR took the matter to the commission, afraid the campaign of "sickies'' would cruel services yesterday and cause chaos, with hundreds of thousands of people attending last night's Riverfire celebrations.

The commission ordered the union not to organise any further absences at short notice.

LNP Deputy Leader Tim Mander said the episode highlighted the fact that the union retained "a stranglehold".

"The union runs this Labor government. The union is running the railway system," he said. "They don't want extra drivers in because they want to control the situation so they can continue to get excessive overtime."

Today is the second anniversary of the first day of the "Rail Fail" series of mass cancellations and service disruptions across the network that led to a Commission of Inquiry and recommendations to end restrictive work practices by drivers and break a closed-shop recruitment process.

But the report shows the organisation is still plagued by problems. Despite an external recruitment program for trainee drivers and guards attracting more than 10,000 applicants, only 40 additional drivers have been employed.

QR has implemented 17 of the commission's 31 recommendations, which are due to be completed by next year, and services are still short of returning to a full timetable.

The report also says just 23 per cent of capital works are done within delivery deadlines, well under the 80 per cent goal.

And it reveals the top eight QR executives were paid a combined $3.37 million in 2017-18. This includes a $755,000 package for chief executive Nick Easy and $482,000 for executive general manager network Tim Ripper.

The total salaries are nearly double the $1.78 million listed in the previous year's report but QR says that is because of turnover, with some senior staff only in positions for short periods of 2016-17.

A QR spokesman said: "We are focused on fixing the trains, and the salaries and performance targets of Queensland Rail employees are designed to drive outcomes which improve rail services for Queenslanders."

Rail Back on Track lobby group spokesman Robert Dow feared QR was returning to an ineffective top-heavy structure doing little to improve things on the ground.

"It's not complex. All people want is for them to run more services," he said. "After (Friday's) events, one wonders what the future of rail is."

The LNP says the dump of documents — many of which would likely have been completed well ahead of Friday night — was the latest-ever such release by the Palaszczuk Government.

"This government is all about secrecy and cover-up," Mr Mander said.

"They hope anything negative is smothered by a long weekend and grand finals. This government talks transparency but actions speak louder than words.

"It is not surprising but it is disappointing."

A State Government spokesman yesterday said: "The reports are being tabled on their due date (September 30) and available to anyone to read. This is standard practice."

QR said that, since the annual report was prepared, the net increase in drivers had grown to 50, plus 79 extra guards, with a further 95 trainee drivers and 42 trainee guards in training. ...

WHAT THEY DIDN'T WANT YOU TO KNOW

* POLICE: Queensland's confidence in police dropped 4 per cent in the past year.

* CHILD SAFETY: One in three children who came into the care of the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women in the past year had a parent who had used or was using methamphetamine. The report revealed 9093 children and young people were in care in the last year and 210 young people were in detention.

* YOUTH JUSTICE: Youth Justice Services statistics showed 74 per cent of young offenders were charged with another offence within 12 months of being dealt with in court for a proven offence.

* DISCRIMINATION: Complaints to the Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland (ADCQ) soared by 13 per cent last year, with 810 claims of sexual harassment or discrimination.

* SPEEDING FINES: There were 176,000 speeding infringement notices issued by QPS in 2017-18. The state's fixed speeding cameras caught nearly 472,000 motorists last year, with more than $250,000 in fines issued every day.

* RAIL FAIL: The combined pay of Queensland Rail's top executives doubled from $1.5 million to almost $3 million in one year.

* EXPENSES: Labor MP Joan Pease overspent her electorate allowance by $19,000 in the past year.

* OMBUDSMAN: Of the 802 public interest disclosures reported to the Ombudsman's Office in the last year, 74 per cent were about corrupt conduct. State government departments were the main source of disclosures with 49 per cent, followed by hospital and health services, with 24 per cent and local councils, with 13 per cent.

* STADIUMS QUEENSLAND: Stadiums Queensland suffered an operating loss of $23 million in the past year, with the body's operating expenses of $129 million significantly higher than its $106 million income.

* ROYAL COMMISSION: Queensland Police's Sex Crimes Unit was referred 544 cases from the Royal Commission. Forty-three matters are still under investigation.

[ozbob]

Sunday Mail 30th September 2018 pages 1, 4 & 5.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Editorial: State Government dumping reports last minute to avoid scrutiny reeks of hypocrisy

WHEN Annastacia Palaszczuk came to power in 2015 promising a new era of transparency, voters had every right to expect her Government would deliver.

But an administration that trumpeted a commitment to openness did itself no favours late Friday when it tabled more than 70 annual reports in the vain hope that grand final weekend might divert some much-needed scrutiny.

Waiting until the last moment allowable under parliamentary rules, the Government released truckloads of documents between 3.30pm and 10pm.

Governments have a well-established habit of trying to offload information detrimental to their public image during a crisis or celebration.

Thorny issues are then effectively hidden in plain sight until re-emerging at a later date when they can be dismissed as old news.

This Government has gone out of its way to make transparency and accountability key aspects of its identity.

Premier Palaszczuk and Deputy Premier Jackie Trad often evoke the corruption-riddled Bjelke-Petersen era to present the ruling Labor Government in the righteous light of integrity, decency and accountability.

And this Government rarely misses an opportunity to remind voters of the lapses in accountability in the previous Newman administration in an attempt to provide contrasting moral values.

It was in 2014 that, as Opposition leader, Ms Palaszczuk led the charge against Premier Campbell Newman.

She was quick to respond when he attempted to truncate the budget estimates process by covering what were once six estimates hearings (including critical areas of health and education) in one session.

"This is not about an open and accountable government, this is about hiding from the public, hiding from media scrutiny, and not facing up to the music,'' Ms Palaszczuk declared at the time.

That is so true.

That bid to cut back on scrutiny of the expenditure of public money that estimates hearings provide was a lame attempt to obfuscate the business of governing.

So, in its own way, is dumping thousands of pages of information into the public arena when you know perfectly well the public gaze will be averted.

[SurfRail]

Nope, not buying it.  The reality is most of these reports are always put out on the latest allowable date grand final or not.

[ozbob]

From the TMR AR 2017-18 page 242

Shows patronage (millions)



Transperth train patronage was 60,600,052 for 2017-18
( http://www.pta.wa.gov.au/about-us/priorities-and-performance/transport-performance#Train-33 )

Transperth trains network is 180.8 km

Queensland Rail City network is 689 km

[ozbob]

When it comes to public transport, the TMR Annual Report is more spin than substance sadly.

eg.  page 34

Rail Network Strategy

South East Queensland's rail network is undergoing a
transformation with New Generation Rollingstock (see glossary
page 255) coming into service, infrastructure upgrades, a
new European Train Control System (ETCS) for signalling (see
glossary page 254), and Cross River Rail and Inland Rail on
schedule to be operating by the mid-2020s. Cross River Rail
(see page 84) in particular will have a significant impact on
how the rest of the South East Queensland transport network
flows and functions, offering a genuine opportunity for network
reform and revitalisation.

TMR ensures the resulting offering integrates well into the
existing network, offering customer-focused, modern and
seamless services, to improve liveability across South East
Queensland.

The first priority will be to develop a 10-year South East
Queensland focused strategy, including a series of staged
concept rail timetables ramping up between 2018–2028. This
will also include a fleet and depot strategy, an infrastructure
strategy (including the rollout of ETCS) and a staged
implementation proposal. Later stages of developing the
strategy will include a statewide rail plan over a 30 year time
horizon.

A customer demand driven strategy and plan for investment
in rollingstock and rail infrastructure (see glossary page 255)
will enable TMR to deliver better customer-focused service
plans. In balancing passenger demand and service supply,
TMR is building a rail network where customers experience
reliable, higher frequency turn-up-and-go rail services while
encouraging growth in patronage over the next ten years and
beyond. ...

More endless plans.  What happened to Connecting SEQ 2031 the ' Rail Revolution '.

It is all nonsense in the end ...

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

30th September 2018

Simple demonstration that shows how dismal TMR is in terms of reporting basic PT data

Greetings,

Here is a simple demonstration that shows how dismal TMR is in terms of reporting basic PT data.

From the TMR Annual Report 2017-18 page 242



The status is a feel good indicator than is meaningless without the previous years data.

Have a look at PTA WA Transport Performance at http://www.pta.wa.gov.au/about-us/priorities-and-performance/transport-performance

All modes can be checked back to years 2003-04.



This is the data reporting standard that we should be aiming for in Queensland.

Best wishes

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track https://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Nope, not buying it.  The reality is most of these reports are always put out on the latest allowable date grand final or not.

Yo

Couriermail --> State Government defends dumping 75 reports late on Friday

THE State Government has defended dumping 75 annual reports on the performance of departments and agencies late on Friday just before a long weekend.

As revealed in The Sunday Mail, the 75 reports were published in three batches from 3.30pm on Friday.

The media was notified of the final and largest lot of documents at 9.54pm.

Among the revelations were Stadiums Queensland reporting an operating loss of more than $20m; Queensland Health failing to meet treatment efficiency targets and dysfunction still plaguing Queensland Rail.

Housing Minister Mick de Brenni says it wasn't an attempt to avoid scrutiny but a bid not to release them on the weekend when the reports were actually due.

"They were due by the 30th of September and they were there in advance of that deadline," he told reporters today.

Mr de Brenni rejected claims the late release didn't pass the sniff test.

He said the reports were available to the public online and ministers were happy to answer any questions.

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad says with cabinet working in Toowoomba last week the focus was on the regions.

"There was no intention for this to be contrived in any way, every single minister was in Toowoomba governing," she said.

Ms Trad said with four weeks of parliamentary sittings before the end of the year there were ample opportunities for MPs to ask ministers questions about the annual reports.

"This is what happens each and every year ... it's a good thing, it's about government and all of the (departments) being transparent," she said.

She said if the release was delayed until Monday the criticism would have been they were late.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Voters have a right to transparency and accountability

THE two words most abused by government are transparency and accountability.

Our elected leaders place their hands on their hearts and declare these twin principles to be their guiding lights while in practice they substitute them with secrecy and subterfuge.

At a media conference announcing a decision by Qantas to establish a pilot training facility at Toowoomba's Wellcamp Airport, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was asked how much the Queensland government had promised to contribute to the project.

"That's commercial in confidence" she said, blithely batting away the question with more than a hint of smugness.

That, as far as the government is concerned, is that. As electors we have no right to know how much of our money has been contributed towards a private enterprise facility.

Why? Because the government doesn't want us to know.

It's the Bjelke-Petersen "don't you worry about that" syndrome.

Qantas surveyed a number of sites before settling on Toowoomba so there would have been competing offers from other cities around the country.

Queensland obviously offered the most attractive deal, so how much have we paid?

It's not the amount of money that's the issue but rather the arrogance of a government that presumes it can decide what we should know and what we shouldn't.

The state government's actions in releasing 72 annual reports late on a Friday night preceding a long weekend shows the contempt in which the public is held.

The reports listed the usual litany of its failures to perform as well as the news that an already bloated public service continues to grow at twice the rate of population growth, making a mockery of the government's promise to keep it within this limit.

It was left to the Deputy Premier Jacki Trad to defend this by saying there was no absolutely no ulterior motive in the late night release of the reports.

One can only presume she was pressed into service because she is more skilled at defending the indefensible than the Premier who when on the defensive, prefaces all remarks with "Let me be quite clear....".

On hearing this, it is generally safe to presume that the one element noticeably lacking in what follows will be clarity.

Why is it that governments think that they are being incredibly clever in attempting to conceal the truth from the public?

It seems as if it is some sort of game played by ministers, one in which the winner is the person who manages to conceal the most information and who best convolutes the truth.

What they fail to appreciate in their fixation with obscuring reality is that people realise what they are doing.

This is the great irony. Hundreds upon hundreds of state government media advisers beavering away to weave a cloak of competence and accountability while people at home just shake their heads in despair at their antics.

From where, I wonder, does the presumption come that people are so stupid and naive that they will believe what is served up to them?

The absence of protest marches does not mean that voters are content to be taken for granted.

It is more likely to indicate that political obfuscation is the standard of behaviour that they have come to expect.

Half truths, subterfuge, misrepresentation? Hey, it's just another day. It's business as usual in politician land.

Party leaders then pore over the results of the latest public opinion poll and try and work out why there is such widespread disenchantment with the major political movements.

How would people react if just for once a minister stood up and was honest with the people he or she has sworn to serve?

What would the electorate think, for example, if Transport Minister Mark Bailey said that despite his best efforts Brisbane's suburban railway system continued to be a disaster due to the intransigence of the unions and poor bureaucratic decision making but that he was doing his best to fix it?

He would, I think, be applauded for his honesty and be rewarded by greater patience on the part of those forced to suffer the rail system's failings.

It won't happen, of course, for within minutes of any such outpouring of truthfulness, the unions would be on the phone to the Premier demanding he be sacked from cabinet.

I'm not suggesting that in the case of the Qantas pilot training facility, the government should not have made a financial contribution.

What I am saying is that the public has an absolute right to know what it will be.

The phrase commercial in confidence is merely used as a cloak.

The Office of the Queensland Information Commissioner says "in the interests of openness and accountability, it is desirable that business with government agencies be conducted in a way that will stand up to public scrutiny. Confidentiality and commercial in confidence clauses should not be used as a matter of course."

Too frequently, politicians are more inclined to embrace the philosophy of British government minister Jim Hacker in the BBC political satire Yes Minister.

"I don't want the truth," he tells his staff. "I want something I can tell parliament."

" ... What would the electorate think, for example, if Transport Minister Mark Bailey said that despite his best efforts Brisbane's suburban railway system continued to be a disaster due to the intransigence of the unions and poor bureaucratic decision making but that he was doing his best to fix it?

He would, I think, be applauded for his honesty and be rewarded by greater patience on the part of those forced to suffer the rail system's failings.

It won't happen, of course, for within minutes of any such outpouring of truthfulness, the unions would be on the phone to the Premier demanding he be sacked from cabinet. ... "