Queensland Government

'Being a small school principal has been the most amazing learning experience. It’s pushed me to my personal and professional limits, and I’ve certainly grown and withered, and expanded as a result.’ Tamsyn Gardiner is the Principal of Karumba State School in Far North Queensland, one of two teachers managing 17 students across six year levels. 2,000km south, Peggy Niebling leads Haden State School in the Darling Downs Region. With 13 students and two teacher aides, Peggy describes her role as equally rewarding and challenging. 'I have needed every bit of my teaching knowledge and experience, and more. Professional growth also helps personal growth, and I am a different woman to the one I was when I started,' Peggy shares. Both principals say their school communities feel like family. 'With 14 students and families, my school is small enough for me to know everyone well; to understand their contexts and to be part of their lives,' Peggy says. Small school principals often unite their communities, from organising fundraisers to championing local initiatives. Tamsyn adds, 'The sense of achievement and satisfaction that can come from this role is inexplicable. It is also rewarding beyond measure; and the relationships you build with staff and students are family-like.' Small school principalship is just one way our public service supports young Queenslanders. Find out where our Department of Education could take you. Search for roles here https://lnkd.in/gBvvhd2R Read more about being a small school principal: https://bit.ly/48TkmVB #GreatStoriesStartHere #StateSchoolProud #BeHere4Qld

Here’s a project which is critical for creating reliable tidal models, helping to build a more resilient future for Queensland. The Geodesy and Positioning team at our Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development is leading critical work to improve the accuracy of sea level data by installing Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) at key tide gauge sites. These systems measure land movement — which can vary by up to 20 mm per year — ensuring sea level measurements are precise and relative to the Earth’s centre of mass. Their work involves overcoming significant challenges, such as designing custom equipment solutions and finding safe locations in busy ports. This project is vital for creating reliable tidal models that support coastal management, infrastructure planning, and environmental monitoring. Learn more https://bitly.cx/S96gu Our Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development is full of teams such as this delivering incredible expertise for Queensland. Join them https://lnkd.in/gyP43G6h

Don’t just sit around and hope your teamwork or cross-agency collaboration will get better! Take action, be a leader for change and reach your full potential by sharing your success and challenges in collaborating across government with other like-minded collaboration champions! We are hosting 3 Collaboration Clinics to celebrate the recent release of our Collaboration Connect: Collaborating in government, a hub that offers a suite of tools and resources to enhance your team and cross-agency collaboration skills. You are encouraged to come to either 1 or all 3 of these events as each event will have a different focus. Our clinics will educate guests on our free, easy-to-use tools and resources that will help you empower your teams to move beyond talk, equipping them with practical pathways to address real challenges in service delivery, community impact, and decision-making. We have our first session on Tuesday 2 December, so register your interest now: https://lnkd.in/gP_fdm4T

'I love putting the thought into selecting better locations for rehabilitated cassowaries than where they were found.' 💚 Meet Wildlife Ranger Jeff from the Wildlife and Threatened Species Operations team at our Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation. He’s dedicated to rehabilitating injured cassowaries and returning them safely to the wild. Based in far north Queensland, Jeff brings over 13 years of experience in zookeeping and ecological fieldwork, fuelled by a lifelong passion for wildlife conservation. 'I've worked with diverse species throughout Australasia, and even South Africa,' he shares. 'But my ultimate ambition has always been to work with wildlife in wild places, especially native animals, and I have a keen interest in human-wildlife conflict.' From site assessments to writing release plans and responding to incidents like road strikes, Jeff’s work is challenging but deeply rewarding. Jeff’s favourite moments come from making a positive impact on threatened species. He recalls helping a young cassowary, deemed non-releasable, calmly transition to becoming an ambassador for his species at a wildlife park. Thank you, Jeff, for your dedication to protecting our iconic native species 💚 From top end to the southeast, make a difference like Jeff at our Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation. Search current opportunities here https://lnkd.in/gsCThAJz #BehindtheDETSI #ThreatenedSpecies #Acareerthatmatters. #Acontributionthatcounts

'My passion for this work is driven by the people I collaborate with.' For more than 13 years, Kalum Jayabandu has been making a meaningful impact as a Program Officer delivering programs that support reconciliation efforts and preserve, grow, and strengthen Indigenous languages across Queensland. 'It’s incredibly rewarding to contribute to reconciliation efforts and Indigenous language preservation, which are so vital to our cultural heritage. I also love being part of a team that is deeply passionate about working with organisations to acknowledge reconciliation and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations in preserving cultural knowledge and language,' she explained. Kalum’s journey began as a temporary staff member, where she immersed herself in cultural learning by engaging with colleagues and community Elders. “It was a unique experience that not many people get to have, and it shaped my perspective and passion for this work,” she shared. Since then, she has built strong relationships with community Elders, representatives, and organisations. Her career highlights include delivering the Reparations program, contributing to the Local Thriving Communities initiative, and leading Celebrating Reconciliation Grants and Indigenous Languages Grants. Alongside her work, Kalum completed a master’s degree in international relations and undertook public policy training, equipping her with skills she applies every day. Now, she’s excited to take on a new challenge, joining Multicultural Affairs Queensland on a secondment as Program Officer in the Sector Engagement and Investment team. Congratulations, Kalum! We can’t wait to see what you achieve next. Thank you, Department of Women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Multiculturalism for sharing Kalum’s story!

‘As an Aboriginal woman, I feel a responsibility to care for all of my Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.’ 💙 Meet Canay Brown-Coghill, First Nations Community Liaison Officer at Cleveland District State High School. Canay’s work goes far beyond traditional student support. She’s created a safe space at the school and has become a bridge between the school, community and external programs. Canay says the goal is simple: to create a place where students feel like they belong. 'When students feel like they belong, everything changes,' she says. Read her story https://lnkd.in/g6UmzWu8 Want to have an impact like Canay? Search jobs at our Department of Education here https://lnkd.in/gBvvhd2R

Have you ever been part of a team determined to tackle a complex challenge, only to find systemic barriers holding you back? You’re not alone. Navigating complexity in government requires more than expertise—it demands trust, adaptability and the ability to cut through silos. Yet, effective collaboration, the very thing that can unlock our collective potential, is often easier said than done. What if there was a way to make collaboration not just aspirational, but achievable? What if teams across government could come together with clarity, purpose, and proven tools to truly reimagine how we solve problems together? Over the past year, hundreds of Queensland public sector professionals set out to answer these questions, creating a new benchmark for how we work together as a government. The result? A game-changing initiative called Collaboration Connect: Collaborating in government—a practical suite of tools, resources, and real-world stories designed to make collaboration effective, accessible, and actionable. But this isn’t just another guide. What makes it so resonant is its human-centred design. Developed through insights from public servants themselves—it’s grounded in lived experiences. Co-design sessions were the backbone of development, enabling teams to test and shape prototypes that truly reflect the realities of working within a complex, multi-agency government system. What’s more, the framework doesn’t just celebrate collaboration in theory—it models it in action. These tools empower teams to move beyond talk, equipping them with practical pathways to address real challenges in service delivery, community impact, and decision-making. Imagine this: A team grappling with cross-departmental challenges now has a shared language to underpin their efforts. Instead of running into silos, they use interactive tools to assess their readiness to collaborate and map their way forward. They draw on tested frameworks and case studies for new ways to come together. Suddenly, conversations that once felt impossible to start…begin to flow. By building trust and embedding consistent practices, Collaboration Connect: Collaborating in government, is helping teams deliver far more than they ever could alone. This is about more than any one initiative. It’s a call to arms for all of us in public service. Let’s face it—no single agency, no matter how capable, can tackle the challenges facing Queenslanders today. It’s only by coming together that we’ll unlock the solutions our communities need. Share your thoughts: What’s the biggest barrier your team has faced when trying to collaborate across boundaries? We’d love to hear your stories, ideas, and challenges! Visit https://lnkd.in/gYs3yVG4 to explore these resources and enhance your teamwork and collaboration. #Collaboration #PublicSectorInnovation #QueenslandPublicService #ImpactfulOutcomes

'I am living my childhood dream; this is what I've wanted to do since I was a little kid watching wildlife documentaries.' 🐬💚 Meet Daniele, a Senior Conservation Officer in the Threatened Species team at our Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation. His passion for the marine world took him from Italy to Australia, where he completed his PhD, studying the threatened Australian humpback dolphin and snubfin dolphins. The best part of his job? 'I get to visit incredible locations, especially those in far north Queensland that are rarely visited by human beings,' he said. 'When you're camped alone on a remote island in the Great Barrier Reef, it's like living in a David Attenborough documentary. Enjoying the sunset after a hard day of work from an isolated beach in the middle of the ocean is always a top moment.' For Daniele, one of the most rewarding parts of his role is connecting with Traditional Owners. 'Working in close collaboration with Traditional Owners makes me feel more connected to the land, sea and Country that I'm trying to help conserve and protect,' he said. Want to make a difference like Daniele? Search for jobs at our Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation https://lnkd.in/gsCThAJz #BehindtheDETSI #ThreatenedSpecies

“I feel so privileged to do what I do. My job is the perfect mix of science, art and empathy.” We couldn’t agree more with prosthetist Maria. She’s part of the small but mighty Oral and Maxillofacial Prosthetic team at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. This amazing team help people feel whole again after losing a body part. The statewide service develops a range of prosthetic body parts for patients such as noses, ears, eyes, orbits, nipples and even fingers or toes. 👁️🖐️👂👃 Prosthetist Maria and her team work with each patient over many months to create a life-like silicone prosthetic that blends in naturally with their face or body, ensuring no detail is missed in the design like miniscule blood vessels or hair. “Most of our patients come to us after a long journey of recovery from cancer or trauma, and the prosthesis becomes a symbol of hope. It's the moment they start to reclaim a part of their identity and move toward feeling ‘normal’ again,” Maria said. “For those who require facial prostheses, they are not cosmetic luxuries - they’re essential for restoring basic functions like speaking, eating and interacting with others. Thanks for sharing Maria’s story, Metro North Health It's amazing how varied careers careers in health can be. Make an impact like Maria, search available roles here https://lnkd.in/gn-_h-Zx #BeHere4Qld #HealthCareers #DeliveringforQueensland

Wherever you’re reading this from now, it’s likely not from the Great Barrier Reef. For Marine Park Ranger Collette, our Reef is her office – and she gets to explore its wonders every day. It’s not all about exploration, though. Collette balances research with conservation of marine world heritage – a big responsibility that doesn't come without its challenges. 'We’re preserving some of Australia’s most historic and breathtakingly beautiful sites,' she said. 'Some of the reef is proving resilient and in beautiful condition, but I’ve also seen reefs with less than 1% coral cover due to predation by Crown of Thorns Starfish. It’s heartbreaking, but that’s why we’re here: to be change-makers and innovators.' Collette’s role allows her to make a real difference for the reef in such an incredible environment. 'It’s gratifying to know our work contributes to the greater ecology of saving the reef.' 'Every day is an unforgettable experience,' she said. 'We wouldn’t be here if we weren’t passionate about the environment and conserving it for future generations.' Want to make a mark like Collette? Search for jobs at our Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation here https://lnkd.in/gsCThAJz #BehindtheDETSI #ThreatenedSpecies #BetheDifference #DeliveringforQueensland