Govt learns from payroll debacle

©iStockphoto/Alonzo Adams

THE Queensland government has promised it won't rush a new payroll system for police, fire and ambulance officers, in the wake of the nurse pay debacle.

Ambulance, fire, emergency service, and corrective service officers are still being paid by the outdated Lattice system - the software used by the Queensland Health (QH) payroll office before it switched to its current troubled program.

Those in charge of implementing QH's new system - in which many staff have been underpaid, overpaid and not paid at all - were criticised in an auditor-general's report for rushing the system's introduction before proper testing was done and fail-safes were in place.

Police Minister Neil Roberts told a parliamentary estimates hearing on Thursday that changes to a new payroll system were necessary but wouldn't be rushed.

"The decision on the preferred payroll system will be based on an assessment on what best suits the needs of this department," he said.

"The department will not take any unnecessary risks in implementing a new payroll system."

Mr Roberts said nothing was more important than ensuring the department's employees were paid correctly.

"Thorough planning, preparation and consultation will be undertaken and this will identify the department's business requirements and benefits before a decision is taken on a particular technology solution."

He said the one-size-fits-all approach to payroll across government had been ditched following the auditor-general's report.

The government could implement different payroll systems for each specific agency in his department, he said.

Mr Roberts said the existing payroll system would need to be replaced within the next two years.