qld.gov.au Contact us
Department of Resources

Diversity and inclusion

Our department supports the Queensland government's commitment to inclusion and diversity, ensuring our responsibility as leaders and individuals drives change and builds a public sector for all, where everyone feels safe, respected and included.

We expect all employees, from every classification level, to be accountable for enabling an inclusive workplace culture that values diversity and respect. We also have a responsibility to attract, develop and retain a workforce which reflects the community we serve.

We have several working groups and internal committees (e.g. the All Abilities Action Group and the Proudly Me Committee) to support our employees and promote diversity and inclusion throughout our department.

Flexible working

We understand that flexible working allows greater participation and performance for a wide range of employees. We offer a wide range of flexible employment arrangements that help employees manage their family and lifestyle commitments.

Gender equality

Gender equity in the workplace enables better problem solving, innovation and productivity. It allows us to better serve our diverse community.

We understand the importance of gender diversity in leadership to attracting and retaining new talent by demonstrating that gender is not a barrier to success. Representation matters!

The Queensland public sector gender equity strategy 2015–2020 (PDF, 2.4MB) seeks to transform the way gender equity has traditionally been approached. Under the strategy, we will:

  • challenge myths and assumptions to ensure both men and women enjoy the same opportunities
  • remove obstacles such as limited access to flexible working arrangements and unconscious bias
  • create workplaces where both women and men thrive.

Read more about Queensland Government’s commitment to gender equity.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

We are committed to creating a culturally capable workplace where we value the diverse knowledge, skills, history, traditions and cultures of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and seek to maximise their employment and career development opportunities.

We recognise that many of our First Nations people have considerable knowledge of land, natural resources and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations, and that this knowledge should be properly and fairly recognised in the employment and career development process.

As part of our commitment, we offer several Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cadetships every year.

To accelerate progress towards increasing the proportion of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders working in the department, we have developed the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people cultural capability action plan 2018-2020 (PDF, 133.9KB).

Ability - not disability

Our focus is on ability - not disability. Our disability service plan ensures people with a disability have access to the same departmental services, information, facilities and opportunities that are available to the broader community and detail the actions we will be undertaking to improve this access.

We have established the All Abilities Action Group (AAAG) to influence and support the implementation of the disability service plan. The AAAG will assist in identifying barriers and developing strategies to better support, attract and retain employees with a disability.

The plan also acknowledges the right of people with a disability to participate as equitably as others, bringing to the department a set of unique skills, experiences, perspectives and knowledge.

Our plan contributes to the State Disability Plan - All Abilities Queensland: opportunities for all.

LGBTIQ+ inclusion

As a department, we have a zero tolerance for discrimination. We take an active role to ensure the workplace is a safe and supportive environment. We are committed to supporting the rights of LGBTIQ+ employees and ensuring people uphold the principles outlined in our Code of Conduct and guiding principle 'Respect'.

Our partnership with Pride in Diversity has been an important step in our commitment.

Our Proudly Me Committee is working to champion a safe, respectful and inclusive culture where LGBTIQ+ employees can proudly be themselves. Members promote inclusion and provide advice to our department through the implementation of initiatives.

The committee also works to connect our department with whole-of-government initiatives and we support the Queensland public sector LGBTIQ+ inclusion strategy which has been developed as part of the Queensland Government’s commitment to building a public sector that:

  • reflects the diversity of the community
  • leads social change
  • is a place where people of all sexual orientations and gender identities feel safe, accepted and valued.

Culturally and linguistic diverse (CALD)

Valuing diversity enhances employee engagement by demonstrating that we understand and respect different cultures. Increasing the representation of people from a non-English speaking background will ensure we are able to attract the most highly talented people, regardless of their background.

We actively support the Queensland Government’s multicultural policy and action plan. This will help deliver on the Queensland Government’s commitment to promote our state as a united, harmonious and inclusive community and foster an environment of opportunity for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

White Ribbon accreditation

We are a White Ribbon Accredited Workplace. We achieved accreditation in recognition of the active steps taken to recognise, prevent, respond and support staff affected by domestic and family violence.

White Ribbon Accreditation is about everyone feeling safe and supported in the workplace. We will continue to maintain our White Ribbon Accreditation to ensure we have a workplace that promotes a respectful, safe and inclusive culture.

Find out more

Last reviewed: 03 June 2023