About the Board
Chair’s introduction
It is my privilege to serve as the inaugural Chair of the Public Trustee Advisory and Monitoring Board (the Board). The Board was established in December 2022, in response to Recommendation 30 of the Public Advocate’s 2021 report Preserving the financial futures of vulnerable Queenslanders: A review of Public Trustee fees, charges and practices .
The Board is an independent statutory body, to provide advice and monitoring of the Queensland Public Trustee (QPT) to enhance its performance, transparency, and public accountability.
Since formation, the Board has worked extensively with the Public Trustee to gain a thorough understanding of its operations and short and long-term goals and strategies. The Board has used this information to recommend improvements to the QPT’s operations, so it can better respond to the needs of its customers.
The Board has developed a very productive working relationship with the Public Trustee, and the QPT has been active in implementing the Board’s advice and recommendations. As first priority, the Board undertook a significant review of the QPT’s complaints processes and produced a paper for the Public Trustee on how they could be improved. The QPT implemented all of the Board’s recommendations.
The Board also provided feedback to the QPT on its public consultation process for its proposed reforms to QPT’s fees and charges for its key services, as well as more substantive advice and recommendations on the proposed reforms. This included addressing key challenges faced by the QPT.
The Board may also give advice and recommendations to the Attorney-General to improve the functioning of the QPT. The Board has made recommendations to the Attorney-General related to the guardianship ‘gag laws’, the legal structure and governance of the QPT, and the future sustainability of the QPT.
The Board was not established to respond to individual complaints about the QPT from members of the public, as there are existing bodies to deal with these (see How to raise concerns or complaints about QPT’s performance of its functions).
Rather, the Board was established as a high-level policy board to improve the QPT’s processes and services.
I am committed to working with my fellow Board members to contribute to the work of the QPT, with the ultimate goal of seeing vulnerable Queenslanders receive the best possible services and outcomes.
Geoff Rowe
Chair
The Board
The QPT has an important role in providing a range of services, often to the most vulnerable members of the Queensland community. Through advice and monitoring the Board aims to improve the delivery of services by the QPT.
The Board’s functions
The Board’s functions are to:
- monitor and review the performance of the QPT’s functions
- monitor complaints received by the QPT about the performance of its functions
- monitor and review QPT’s processes for managing complaints
- provide advice and make recommendations to the QPT about matters relating to the performance of its functions
- provide advice and make recommendations to the Attorney-General about the following:
- changes to legislation, or improvements to the policies, practices, resources, services or training of QPT to ensure that it can effectively perform its functions
- improvements or enhancements to the performance of QPT's functions to promote the interests of its clients, particularly clients with impaired decision-making capacity.
In performing its functions, the Board must act independently and in the public interest, and is not subject to direction by anyone, including QPT or the Attorney-General.
The Board’s work
Information about the Board’s work can be found in the Board’s Annual Reports.
Board membership
See profiles for the current Board members.
Things the Board cannot do
The Board’s functions are monitoring and advisory in nature. The Board cannot:
- direct QPT in relation to client matters or generally
- overrule decisions made by QPT in relation to client matters
- terminate QPT's appointment in relation to client matters
- provide advice or assistance to individual QPT clients or the public.
How to raise concerns or complaints about QPT's performance of its functions
Concerns or complaints about the performance of QPT's functions should be directed to QPT in the first instance.
If your concern or complaint is not resolved through QPT's complaints management process, then further options for resolution may include:
- requesting an internal review of QPT's original decision or response to the complaint
- seeking assistance from QPT's Customer Advocate
- making a complaint to the Queensland Ombudsman
- in relation to financial administration matters only – making an application to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) seeking a review of QPT's appointment as administrator, a declaration about capacity, or QCAT’s advice, directions, or recommendations to QPT
- if you believe your human rights have been breached and you have made a complaint to QPT which has not been resolved within 45 working days – making a complaint to the Queensland Human Rights Commission.