• Confidence in the leadership of the DNRM has taken a dive under the Palaszczuk Labor Government

• Working for Queensland survey reveals key indicators associated with responsibility, engagement, effectiveness and innovation have declined at the DNRM

• Minister Anthony Lynham has been sidelined from key policy debates by Labor’s Jackie Trad’s led radical left wing

 Department of Natural Resources and Mines employees are losing confidence in the leadership of their organisation, according to the results of a recent public sector survey.

The 2016 Working for Queensland* survey, released last week, revealed key indicators associated with responsibility, engagement, effectiveness and innovation had declined at the DNRM.

LNP Shadow Natural Resources and Mines Minister Andrew Cripps said it was a concern that staff in the key economic development agency had expressed declining confidence in its leadership.

He said the DNRM played an important role in driving outcomes for the agriculture, natural resource, mining, energy and property sectors, which were pillars of the Queensland economy.

“Confidence in the leadership of the DNRM has taken a dive under the Palaszczuk Labor Government, with the 2016 survey results well down on the previous year,” Mr Cripps said.

“This shouldn’t be a surprise when the department and its Minister, Anthony Lynham, have been sidelined from key policy debates by Labor’s radical left wing, led by Jackie Trad.

“Imagine being stripped of responsibility for key legislation, excluded from decision making and benched from making public comment, in favour of a political handbag like Steven Miles?

“Anthony Lynham is little more than a time-server in the Natural Resources and Mines portfolio and his embarrassing political emasculation is clearly being felt in this once proud department”.

Mr Cripps said Minister Lynham had no answers when confronted with a question about the Working for Queensland survey results during recent estimates hearings.

“Minister Lynham couldn’t explain why his own departmental officers were losing faith in him and his senior executives and couldn’t tell the committee what he planned to do to ‘rally the troops’, he said.

“This portfolio should be a powerhouse for new projects and job creation, particularly in regional Queensland, but under Labor, reform has stalled and red tape is making a come-back.”

Mr Cripps said the Palaszczuk Labor Government had achieved no positive reforms in the Natural Resources and Mines portfolio since coming to office in February 2015

*2016 Working for Queensland Survey, Department of Natural Resources and Mines Highlight Report, pages 3, 18