The Queensland government is facing fierce backlash from child safety advocates and workers after proposing the removal of a critical workload monitoring tool designed to track the extreme pressures facing frontline staff.

The Together Union, which represents Queensland's child safety officers, revealed that the Department of Child Safety has tabled a bargaining agreement offer that would completely scrap the workload management tool. The mechanism is highly valued by staff as it provides clear, empirical data on how many vulnerable children each worker is responsible for at any given time.

A Push to Hide the Crisis?

Together Union Assistant Secretary Dee Spink expressed deep concern over the move, noting that workers were actually hoping to expand the tool's capabilities rather than see it dismantled.

"We're actually seeking to expand the workload management tool as part of this bargaining process, and the department has told us they want to remove it," Ms. Spink said. She warned that stripping away the tracker would hide the reality of systemic failures from the Queensland public.

"This offer proposes removing one of the few mechanisms that allows workers — and ultimately Queenslanders — to see whether the system is actually improving, while failing to address the excessive workloads, unpaid overtime, and retention issues," Ms. Spink added.

Premier Contradicts His Own Department

The controversial proposal has caused immediate friction within the government. When questioned on the matter, Premier David Crisafulli appeared to contradict his department's negotiating position, stating that he supports keeping the reporting tool in place.

"I think it makes complete sense to keep it the same," Premier Crisafulli said. "My view is that it should remain as it is, so there's a benchmark." However, the Premier stopped short of committing to an official executive directive to guarantee the tool's survival.

Meanwhile, State Opposition Leader Steven Miles launched a scathing attack on the administration, accusing the government of actively trying to bury unfavorable data. He called on the Premier to sack Child Safety Minister Amanda Camm, criticizing her absence from the enterprise bargaining sessions.

"That's not good enough for government ministers to continue to say that it's not their job to work with their workforces, to meet with their unions, and to get positive outcomes," Mr. Miles said.

Industrial Action Escalates Amid High Vacancies

The escalating dispute occurs against a backdrop of historic strain on the state's child protection infrastructure. Child safety and youth justice workers have been engaged in protected industrial action since August 3, and union leadership warns that full walkouts remain on the table.

Recent data tabled in response to a major child safety inquiry painted a grim picture, revealing a record-high of nearly 3,000 Queensland children living in residential care as of March. Despite the government accepting the vast majority of the inquiry's recommendations, workers argue that reform is impossible without addressing severe staffing shortages. The union reports there are currently more than 100 child safety officer vacancies left unfilled across Queensland.