New Public Trustee Board announced

Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman today announced the Palaszczuk Government would establish a Public Trustee Board to provide oversight and direction to the Public Trustee of Queensland.

“Protecting Queenslanders, especially our vulnerable, is a priority of this Government,” said Ms Fentiman.

“Today’s announcement of a Public Trustee Board is a great step forward in doing this.”

The new board is part of the Government’s response to a comprehensive report by the Public Advocate that reviewed the Public Trustee’s fees, charges and practices.

“The board will improve the Public Trustee’s performance, transparency and accountability, and enhance public confidence in this valuable service.

"An internal review into the Public Trustee’s fees and charges is already underway including significant changes to its operational systems to ensure better service delivery to the community,” Ms Fentiman said.

The Public Trustee provides financial management services to more than 10,000 Queenslanders each year, including more than 9300 people under an administration appointment by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

“While the Government is respectful of the Public Trustee’s independence, it has a responsibility to ensure the body is open and accountable to community expectations.

“We are committed to improvement, but it should not be forgotten that the Public Advocate’s Report found many of the Public Trustee customers appear to receive a high level of service for very little or no cost.

“At the same time, the report did identify some opportunities to improve the way the Public Trustee engages with its customers, and it is clear that the agency needs to be more transparent about its fees and charges.”

The Public Advocate report made 32 recommendations, 23 of which are primarily the responsibility of the Public Trustee to implement.

The Government has now finalised a response to the Public Advocate’s report in which it will accept in principle the majority of the recommendations in the report.

“I look forward to working on these recommendations in consultation with Public Trustee, the Public Advocate and other stakeholders.”

The Attorney-General also thanked the Public Advocate for the report, and her ongoing advocacy for the rights of adults with impaired decision-making capacity in Queensland.

ENDS

Media Contact (FENTIMAN): Penni Pappas – 0438 747 540