The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) Queensland Branch is calling on the state government to strengthen transparency and accountability frameworks for Queensland's mental health levy, following a critical report by the Queensland Audit Office that identified gaps in planning, oversight and public reporting. 

The Audit Office's findings indicate that effective whole-of-system governance was not fully established when the levy was introduced in 2023, making it difficult for Queenslanders to readily determine how funds are being used or whether they are delivering the outcomes the levy was designed to achieve. 

Chair of the RANZCP Queensland Branch, Professor Brett Emmerson AO, said the findings were concerning for the mental health sector. 

"More than a billion dollars have been collected through this levy, and the people of Queensland deserve to know exactly where it has gone and whether it is improving lives," Prof Emmerson said.  

"The Audit Office has found that the governance structures needed to manage this funding were not fully in place, and that is something that should be addressed." 

While the College acknowledges the levy has funded more than 1,000 additional full-time equivalent staff and increased bed capacity, the Audit Office has also made clear that government does not have adequate information to demonstrate whether these investments are improving outcomes for patients. 

"Outputs don’t always translate into outcomes," Prof Emmerson said. "More staff and more beds are welcome, but if we cannot demonstrate that Queenslanders are actually receiving better care as a result, it is important to look closely at whether the levy is being managed in the way the public was promised." 

The RANZCP Queensland Branch is calling on the government to provide greater clarity on:

• Where levy money has been directed and which programs received it
• Whether any funds were applied to activities outside the levy's intended scope
• What happened to any existing funding that was displaced by levy investment
• Where new staff and beds have been placed across the state by region and service type, including psychiatrists

If any levy funding has been used contrary to its intended purpose, the College would support it being returned to mental health budgets and transparently reallocated to meet clinical need. 

"We are not questioning the intent behind the levy, and we welcome the Health Minister's commitment to keeping it in place," Prof Emmerson said.  

"But Queensland psychiatrists need to see a complete, accessible account of how this funding has been allocated and what it has achieved. We stand ready to work with government to support this process, because the stakes for patients and for our mental health system are significant." 

"One way of supporting accountability would be to include the College and other similar organisations on the QLD Health governance group for the levy that has been in place for the last four years," Prof Emmerson said. 

For all other expert mental health information visit Your Health in Mind, the RANZCP’s consumer health information website. 

ENQUIRIES: For more information, or to arrange an interview call Dishi Gahlowt on +61 437 315 911 or email media@ranzcp.org.  

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists is a membership organisation that prepares medical specialists in the field of psychiatry, supports and enhances clinical practice, advocates for people affected by mental illness and advises governments and other groups on mental health care. For information about our work, our members or our history, visit www.ranzcp.org. 

In Australia: If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au or the Suicide Callback Service on 1300 659 467 or www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au. 

In New Zealand: If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline NZ on 0800 543 354 or www.lifeline.org.nz or the Suicide Crisis Helpline on 0508 828 865 or www.lifeline.org.nz/suicide-prevention.