Two months into Queensland's new reportable conduct scheme, the numbers are in: 666 complaints, about 200 matters involving alleged criminal conduct referred to police, 572 cases being monitored — and 39 blue cards suspended, the ABC reports. Attorney-General Deb Frecklington released the figures at the start of Child Protection Week. "Every notification that is received enables the relevant authorities to investigate, to make sure that the principal objective of keeping Queensland children safe is met," she said.
The scheme, run by the Queensland Family and Child Commission, launched on July 1 — brought forward by 12 months — and provides a consistent framework for reporting sexual offences, violence and neglect. Of the notifications so far, 29 per cent relate to ill-treatment of a child, 22 per cent are allegations of physical violence, and sexual misconduct in relation to a child accounts for 16 per cent.
Why it exists
The scheme's origins trace to the state's worst failure. A review into serial paedophile Ashley Paul Griffith, led by Queensland Family and Child Commissioner Luke Twyford, found five separate occasions where his offending would have been detected had the scheme been in place. Twyford says the old approach relied on the criminal threshold "too often" — calling it "an inadequate way to protect our children".
Why only 39?
The gap between 666 complaints and 39 suspensions is the number drawing scrutiny — Brisbane Times framed it as "just 39" from hundreds of child-safety complaints. Asked why more cards hadn't been pulled, Frecklington said the scheme ensured suspensions were made if a child was in imminent danger. Twyford's answer runs deeper: many complaints are "about the warning signs, the breadcrumbs, and signals that something might not be right", each triggering a risk assessment rather than an automatic suspension. "Often for these workers, there's an allegation that is below the criminal threshold, but may reach a crime if more information comes to light," he said. "We're being proactive in sharing that information, making sure everyone across government is aware that there's been a signal that this person might be a risk. It would be inappropriate to therefore suspend everyone that's reaching that threshold."
"This is about a mature, graduated system where we see risk to children holistically, we share information holistically, and we all work together to keep Queensland children safe," Twyford said.
What comes next
From next year, the reportable conduct scheme and the blue card system will fold into the Queensland Protection Commission, announced in June and expected to start work in February. The government has billed it as the state's first dedicated child and vulnerable persons "safeguarding agency", bringing education, health, police, child safety and youth justice under one roof. Frecklington's pitch is simpler: a system that helps parents "feel as though they are doing the right thing by dropping their kids at daycare".