Overview
- Parliament is expected to approve the legislation today, establishing a public register named for Daniel Morcombe after a 15‑year campaign by his parents.
- The scheme posts photos and details of non‑compliant or missing reportable offenders on a government website, lets residents apply to view local offenders’ images, and allows parents to ask police about adults with unsupervised contact with their child.
- Three new offences target misuse of register information with penalties of up to 10 years’ jail, and the police commissioner says the tool will aid investigations.
- A government human‑rights statement acknowledges impacts on privacy and freedom of movement, and parliament will override Queensland’s Human Rights Act to pass the law.
- Civil‑liberties and child‑safety groups question effectiveness and warn of victim‑identification and vigilantism risks, while IT and implementation readiness are also concerns and supporters hope other states adopt similar registers.