Internal accountability

Performance management and monitoring

The performance reporting structures in the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) are configured in accordance with the Queensland Government Performance Management Framework. The framework provides the mechanism for effective governance, planning, risk management, performance monitoring, and reporting.

Strategic measures are reviewed annually to ensure they accurately showcase TMR's achievements against strategic objectives, and comply with service standards for each service division, as specified in TMR's Service Delivery Statements. Progress is reported to the Executive leadership team (ELT) each quarter and is documented in the annual report. TMR's performance is also externally scrutinised through the Parliamentary Estimates committee process conducted each year following the State Budget.

Data and Analytics Strategy

TMR's Data and Analytics Strategy 2023–26 outlines the roadmap for strengthening the department's data and analytics capabilities, enabling an ecosystem that supports an integrated and accessible transport network.

At the core of this Strategy is TMR's strategic data analytics framework, the Transport Data Exchange (TDx). Leveraging this framework, TMR has continued implementing cloud-based data and analytics solutions to address complex business and customer-centric challenges.

In 2024–25, key initiatives included:

• continuous enhancement and expansion of self-service analytics dashboards, automating previously manual reporting processes, facilitating seamless data sharing across the organisation, and generating more than 181,977 individual views of dashboards across TMR
• promotion of data literacy and capability uplift programs and initiatives to equip TMR's workforce with the skills to embrace cloud-enabled data and analytics solutions, tools, and technologies
• over 475 employees attended TMR's annual INCITE event to hear about data and analytics adoption across the department
• ongoing documentation of new cloud data assets into TMR's TDx Data Catalogue, improving the discoverability and accessibility of cloud-based data resources across TMR
• ongoing work to support and mature cloud-based data and analytics tools and platforms and build data engineering capability across the organisation.

Compliments and complaints management

TMR welcomes feedback from all customers and is committed to customer service excellence. Learnings from compliments and complaints are used to enhance services, improve decision-making, and increase government accountability.

TMR encourages a people focused and proactive approach to complaints management. The department responds to complaints in an accountable, transparent, timely, and fair way. TMR's complaints management system:

• complies with the Public Sector Act 2022 section 264
• is compatible with the Human Rights Act 2019
• aligns with the Queensland Public Service Customer Complaint Management Framework and Guideline
• supports requirements under the Victims' Commissioner and Sexual Violence Review Board Act 2024
• meets the guiding principles of the Australian Standard 10002:2022 Guidelines for complaint management in organisations.

In November 2024, TMR implemented an Unreasonable Complainant Conduct Policy and enhanced the complaints management process. The Unreasonable Complainant Conduct Policy provides a clear and proactive approach to managing unreasonable complainant conduct. This supports TMR to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of staff while enabling complaints to be productively resolved.

TMR's enhanced complaints management processes now includes a Charter of Victims' Rights complaints. TMR is committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for victims of violent crime and to handling any Charter of Victim's Rights complaints with compassion, respect, and dignity.

Complaints reporting

Between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025, TMR reported 43,887 customer complaints, including 40 human rights complaints. There were no Charter of Victims' Rights complaints reported. TMR's customer complaints represented less than 1 per cent of the overall 23 million customer interactions managed by TMR and the 193 million trips on South East Queensland public transport.

Of the 43,343 closed complaints, 69 per cent were substantiated, resulting in corrective actions and 88 per cent met service standards of 15 business days.

Of the 40 human rights complaints, 95 per cent met legislative service standards of 45 business days. 14 complaints were determined to involve actions or decisions that were incompatible with the Human Rights Act 2019. These complaints primarily involved allegations of discriminatory treatment of customers who were either elderly, living with a disability, or from a culturally diverse background. The complaints provided us with an opportunity to reflect and improve our decision-making processes and service delivery.

Table 40: Customer complaints

Year	Customer complaints volume	Customer interactions volume
2020–21	25,853	17,500,000
2021–22	28,673	19,000,000
2022–23	39,670	20,500,000
2023–24	37,134	22,500,000
2024–25	43,887	23,584,000
Data source: TMR Complaints Management System

For more information: https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/About-us/Contact-us/Compliments-and-complaints

Internal Audit

TMR's Internal Audit branch operates independently and provides assurance and advice to the Director-General, senior management, and the Audit and Risk Committee (ARC) on whether the department's financial and operational controls are operating in an efficient and effective manner. The Internal Audit branch developed a strategic and annual audit plan through wide consultation, which included consideration of departmental risks.

The Internal Audit branch considers the coverage and management of risks and controls across the department to assess whether an appropriate level of assurance is maintained.

The branch operates a quality assurance and improvement program that identifies opportunities to ensure the efficient, effective, and economical operation of the function. During 2024–25, the branch:

• completed 34 internal audit reviews
• completed 6 advisory views
• followed-up on open audit recommendations
• provided independent advice on a variety of project committees
• provided ad-hoc advice to managers on a range of issues.

Internal Audit is a key component of TMR's corporate governance structure. The function operates under a charter, which complies with the Institute of Internal Auditors' international standards and is approved by TMR's Director-General.

The Chief Auditor is directly accountable to the Director-General for leading an effective and efficient internal audit function and for ensuring internal audit activity is risk-based and value adding to TMR. This includes the implementation of risk-based strategic and annual internal audit plans, and coordinating internal audit activities with the external auditors, Queensland Audit Office (QAO).

The Chief Auditor reports regularly to the ARC (see pages 145–146), which is responsible for reviewing the work of the internal audit function. The relationship with the committee is based on Queensland Treasury's Audit Committee Guidelines.

The Internal Audit branch has a central role in improving operational processes and financial practices by:

• assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of the department financial and operating systems, reporting processes, and activities
• identifying operational deficiencies and non-compliance with legislative or prescribed requirements
• assisting in risk management and identifying deficiencies in the internal control environment
• bringing a broad range of issues to management's attention, including about performance, efficiency, and economy
• monitoring whether agreed remedial actions are undertaken.

2024–25 achievements included:

• developed and delivered an annual plan of internal audits approved by the Director-General providing assurance and improving effectiveness of controls, systems, project management, operations, and risk management
• engaged with the ARC about proposed internal audit plans and their alignment to the risks of the department
• provided advice and assistance on key projects and initiatives
• monitored and reported on the implementation of agreed recommendations
• maintained an effective working relationship with the QAO and other external assurance providers.

Integrity Commissioner

TMR works in conjunction with the Integrity Commissioner to uphold ethical conduct and ensure transparency in its operations. The involvement between TMR and the Integrity Commissioner included:

• adhering to guidelines provided by the Integrity Commissioner regarding interactions with lobbyists, maintaining integrity and transparency in these dealings
• registering and documenting TMR's interactions with lobbyists in the lobbyist register, which is managed by the Integrity Commissioner
• seeking advice from the Integrity Commissioner when ethical queries arise, particularly concerning the conduct of TMR staff, to maintain ethical standards and resolve potential conflicts of interest
• complying with the oversight of the Integrity Commissioner as it relates to lobbyist activities, following protocols and regulations that aim to promote the integrity of public service.

Through this collaborative relationship, TMR demonstrates its commitment to integrity and accountability, guided by the principles outlined within the Integrity Act 2009.

Procurement

TMR remains fully committed to using its significant supplier spend to deliver best-in-class procurement outcomes that strengthen communities, foster innovation, and drive sustainable economic growth across Queensland in 2024–25. 

Through alignment with the Queensland Procurement Policy and market-responsive approaches, TMR injected $10.6 billion into the state's economy through local Queensland-based suppliers receiving 90 per cent of our contracts. 

TMR also engaged with approximately 2600 regional Queensland suppliers, contributing over $2.4 billion directly into our regional economies, with $246 million spent directly from small businesses and a further $46 million from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Businesses.  

The department is proud of these outcomes which reflect TMR's commitment to using its procurement spend to deliver real economic and social benefits across the whole state.

Table 41: TMR addressable procurement spend with Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander regional, and Queensland vendors by financial year

Category	2022–23	2023–24	2024–25
Queensland	$8,804,593,947	$9,170,474,061	$8,818,692,522
Regional	$2,655,880,371	$2,657,685,844	$2,430,282,283
Small Business			$249,029,121
First Nations	$47,907,007	$58,976,104	$46,161,891
Total spend	$9,859,671,441	$11,115,072,668	$10,577,403,379
Regional spend as a per cent	26.94 per cent	24 per cent	23 per cent
Data source: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander vendor list supplied by the Department of Women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Multiculturalism. Regional and Queensland vendors identified by applying SAP Vendor Master Data. Spend data sourced from TMR's Spend Cube. Small Business vendors identified through the On Time Payment Register and measurement began in 2024–25.