Notes about sector insights dataThe corruption trends, risks and enablers described in these pages are based on a review of complaints received by the CCC relating to the Queensland public sector between 1 July 2020 and 30 June 2025, as well as investigations, intelligence and open-source information from the same period. These insights provide general observations about the sector as a whole over that period, and individual agencies within the sector may experience their own unique corruption risks. As these insights have been drawn from various sources, some observations may be slightly different to the data in the Corruption Complaints Dashboard (CCD) and Corruption Allegations Data Dashboard (CADD). CCD, CADD and these sector insights should be considered together to provide a range of perspectives on the risks for a given sector or agency. |
Overview
Queensland’s public sector is responsible for the delivery of a wide range of public services and infrastructure for our state, including health, education, justice, transport and water. It also includes leadership, governance and financial management functions for the state as a whole.
The CCC currently categorises the Queensland public sector as all agencies within our jurisdiction which are not part of local government or the Queensland Police Service. This includes the entities covered by the Public Sector Act 2022, but also state elected officials, Ministerial and electorate staff, boards, government-owned corporations, courts and tribunals, and some universities and grammar schools.
A majority of the public sector workforce provides frontline services directly to Queenslanders, with staff in professions such as teachers and teacher aides, nurses and midwives, allied health professionals, ambulance officers, social workers, registry officers and transport inspectors.
Others work in frontline support and corporate roles, performing functions including administration, finance, procurement, communications, human resources, science, information and technology, and policy development and implementation.
Because of the broad-ranging functions and employment types within the public sector it is affected by diverse corruption risks and enablers.
The insights provided are from analysis of CCC complaints, investigations and other intelligence, along with reviews of publicly available reports, literature and data.
- The Queensland public sector is the largest employer in the state, with more than 270,000 employees.
- Most of the public sector workforce is based outside Brisbane and surrounding suburbs, and predominantly works in frontline roles.
- There are 93 elected Members of the Legislative Assembly who represent 93 electoral districts.
- Health and education service providers are the biggest public sector employers in Queensland.
- The CCC categorises the following entities as part of the public sector in Queensland:
- Members of the Legislative Assembly
- Ministerial and electorate staff
- government boards
- Queensland government departments
- statutory bodies
- government-owned corporations
- hospital and health services (including their governing boards)
- courts, registries and tribunals
- integrity agencies
- some universities and grammar schools.
