A new Service Queensland centre at 119-133 Adelaide Street opened its doors in Brisbane's CBD on Monday (9 November), bringing services including Transport and Main Roads, the Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety, the Department of Justice and the Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages into one place, Brisbane Times reported.
The centre is part of the state government's launch of Service Queensland, which the ministerial statement describes as a new, more connected way to access government services online, over the phone and in person. Alongside the Brisbane City store, the rollout includes a new service.qld.gov.au website, the Service Queensland app, which includes the digital licence, and a new Service Queensland call centre. More than 200 Queensland Government services will be available through Service Queensland from Monday, with more to be added in the coming weeks and months, the statement says.
Births, Deaths and Marriages
Services available at the city centre through the Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages include applying for a civil partnership, marriage, death certificate, surrogacy or adoption and name change. Through the Office of Fair Trading, Queenslanders can also apply for tattoo licensing and permits, liquor licensing and auctioneers licensing.
The Service Queensland in-person page lists the centre's hours as Monday to Friday 8.30am–6pm and Saturday 10am–4pm, with appointments available to book. The statement says the store has extended weekday hours and Saturday trading to promote greater flexibility for people.
The Adelaide Street storefront cost about $2 million, according to Brisbane Times, which reported Customer Services Minister Steve Minnikin said it was within budget and on time, and combining services had not caused any job losses.
"This is all about giving people choice," Mr Minnikin said. "This is a brand-new way of interacting with everyday Queenslanders."
App and Website
The statement says the Service Queensland app will let customers and businesses continue to store and access their digital licences and credentials in a secure and trusted platform, while also accessing a range of other new services. The Service Queensland website says people can create an account with their digital ID to pre-fill forms with saved details, save drafts and view submissions.
"The majority of Queenslanders do want to do things digitally," Mr Minnikin said. "We've got to make sure that at all times we protect Queenslanders' data, and that is something that we are particularly focused on."
The statement says Service Queensland will always provide access to a real person, whether over the phone, through online chat or in person at a service centre. "Whether you are renewing your rego, switching to a digital tradie licence, or getting a marriage certificate we are simplifying the process so you can get on with life," Mr Minnikin said.
Next Centre in North Queensland
"We will be rolling out different service centres through the budget process," Mr Minnikin said. He said he expected the next centre to be opened in North Queensland.