Cost of Living: Car Registration Fees

In Queensland, motor vehicle registration fees consist of three components:

(a) a base registration fee;

(b) a traffic improvement fee; and

(c) a compulsory third party (CTP) insurance charge. 

The Queensland Government receives the revenue generated by the base registration fee and the traffic improvement fee.  It does not receive the revenue from the third component as the CTP insurance premiums go directly to the nominated insurance provider.

Freeze on Car Registration Fees

During its 2012 election campaign, the LNP made a commitment to freeze family car registration for three years.  The LNP said that this proposal is intended to ease the cost of living for Queensland families by saving them $15 to $20 a year. 

Proposed Amendments to the Queensland Public Advocate’s Powers

The Newman Queensland Government announced on 23 April 2012 that it had commenced drafting amendments to the Guardianship and Administration Act 2000 (Qld) to increase the powers of the Public Advocate.

Queensland’s Public Advocate is an independent statutory officer responsible for systemic advocacy on behalf of adults with impaired decision-making capacity.  This position differs from that of another independent statutory officer, the Adult Guardian, who primarily acts to protect the rights and interests of adults with impaired capacity. 

The Queensland Law Reform Commission’s (QLRC) 2009 A Review of Queensland’s Guardianship Laws Discussion Paper (Discussion Paper) noted (Volume 2, p 194):

Although the guardianship legislation in all other Australian jurisdictions establishes a body with similar functions and powers to the Queensland Adult Guardian, … no other Australian jurisdiction includes, as part of its guardianship system, a body [like the Queensland Office of Public Advocate] with the sole function of systemic advocacy ... 

Regulation of Bikie Gangs

In August 2009, when the Queensland Parliamentary Library published a Research Brief entitled Regulating Bikie Gangs (RBR No 2009/18), a number of Australian jurisdictions, including Queensland, were responding to a perceived increase in motorcycle club (‘bikie gang’) related violence through targeted policing operations and/or legislation.  A similar situation has again arisen and many of the issues discussed in the Brief remain relevant.  

Recent months have seen an escalation of bikie gang related violence, particularly in New South Wales and Queensland.  An incident which has gained significant media coverage, community unease and strong police and Government reaction was the shooting at Robina Shopping Town on the Gold Coast in late April 2012, resulting in the wounding of a bikie gang member and an innocent 53 year old female shopper.