Queensland is making a play to become Australia’s most customer-centric government, announcing plans on Friday to consolidate most day-to-day transactions under the one roof.
Just months after creating a customer services department, the state government will take the next step and merge in the customer services arm of the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) from July 1.
The move brings the majority of citizen-facing functions across government, such as service centres, online services and call centres, to the Department of Customer Services, Open Data and Small and Family Business (CDSB).
Digital identity services, including the new the Queensland Digital Identity (QDI), which became the state’s main way for accessing online government services, will also make the jump.
QDI – which was originally developed to support the TMR’s digital licensing system in 2019 – replaced QGov in April, addressing longstanding limitations with the legacy platform.
Announcing the shakeup on Friday, Minister for Customer Services and Open Data Steve Minnikin said bringing together the two functions would better aligning and improving the customer experience across government.
“This opportunity allows us to improve government services, to deliver a consistent customer service experience across our services and channels,” Mr Minnikin said in a statement.
The CDSB currently consists of the Queensland Government Customer and Digital Group, as well as other resources from the former departments of Employment, Small Business and Training, and Energy and Climate.
When it was established last November, Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said the new portfolio would “streamline government services for Queenslanders and small businesses”.
“By separating out from Transport and Main Roads, it will allow Customer Service to stretch across every arm of government and deliver Australia’s most customer service focused government,” he said.
But in bringing TMR’s customer service functions within CDSB, the consolidation appears to go further than other states like NSW which has a one-stop services shop in Service NSW but continues to deliver other services through agencies like Transport.
Minister for Transport and Main Roads Brent Mickelberg on Friday said that while previous Queensland government had been “unwilling to make such a transformative move”, combining services would be a win for customers.
Mr Minnikin has also previously vowed that the government will continue to offer phone and face-to-face services for transactions, giving Queenslanders a choice when they deal with government.
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