The opposition in Queensland has announced that if it takes power in the October election it will publish two inquiries into seat belts and mobile traffic cameras.
The statement comes amid growing concerns about how government agencies handle private images.
A woman caught on a traffic camera. (Source: Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads)
The state’s pole-mounted cameras have caught more than 350,000 people either using a cell phone or not wearing a seatbelt since they were introduced in late 2021, generating more than $400 million in fines.
Violations are detected by an artificial intelligence program, but must be confirmed by human eyes before a fine is imposed.
The Queensland Council for Civil Liberties has warned that there is no way to ensure that agency staff are properly storing the images and maintaining their confidentiality.
The ABC is not aware of any allegations or complaints that would suggest misuse of the photos.
Opposition: State “left in the dark”
The Department for Transport faced data protection concerns surrounding the camera program and launched a comprehensive external review in 2022, followed a year later by a second one, which was presented to the government in early 2024.
The ministry announced that it would publish both reports, but this has not happened, even though one of the reports was submitted to the government two years ago.
Deputy Opposition Leader and Sunshine Coast MP Jarrod Bleijie said the state was being “left in the dark” and promised to release the reports if the LNP came to power in the next election.
“These reports should be made public, but the Labor Party is desperately trying to hide them before the election. The question is why,” Bleijie said.
Jarrod Bleijie says the government is “hiding” privacy reviews. (ABC News: Victoria Pengilley)
“Labor has a bad habit of announcing reviews but then failing to follow through and inform Queenslanders of the results.”
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Transport Minister Bart Mellish did not respond to numerous questions about the unpublished reports or the ministry’s handling of private images.
Bart Mellish says the department is working on publishing the assessments. (ABC News: Lucas Hill)
“I have been advised that TMR (Transport and Main Roads) and QRO (Queensland Revenue Officer) are making every effort to expedite the process and will publish the information on the Queensland Government website as soon as possible,” he said.
The Ministry of Transport and QRO were asked for comment.
A ministry spokesman had previously stated that the first review had led to 22 recommendations that were now being implemented.
He said they also found that “there are numerous strict controls in place to protect people’s privacy.”
Terry O’Gorman says the public should see the reviews. (ABC News: Chris Gillette)
Earlier this week, Terry O’Gorman, vice-president of the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties, said there was no justification for keeping the reports secret.
“There is no reason – security or otherwise – why these two reports should not be published so that the media and the public can say: ‘Yes, the data protection aspects have been adequately addressed,'” he said.
