DES Home > EMQ Home > CHEM services > About Us > The Inter-Departmental Hazardous Substances Coordinating Committee

The Inter-Departmental Hazardous Substances Coordinating Committee

The Inter-Departmental Hazardous Substances Coordinating Committee (IDHSCC) was formed by the Department of Emergency Services (DES) to provide and coordinate policy input for the safe management of hazardous materials in Queensland. The committee is chaired by DES, the Queensland Government’s lead agency for this issue.

The committee facilitates a whole-of-Government approach to the safe management of hazardous materials by providing a forum where:

Information relating to the safe management of hazardous materials can be shared and exchanged;
The hazardous materials policies and procedures of Queensland Government Agencies can be coordinated;
Legislation pertaining to hazardous materials can be reviewed;
Change at community, industry and Government level can be monitored for issues that may affect the safe management of hazardous materials;
Community consultation, education and awareness strategies pertaining to hazardous materials can be facilitated; and
A whole-of-Government response can be co-ordinated to address emerging issues.

Members of the committee are drawn from those agencies that are responsible for regulating the safe management of hazardous materials, including Queensland Transport, Queensland Rail, Department of Natural Resources Mines and Energy, Queensland Health, Department of Primary Industries and Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, there are representatives from the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Port of Brisbane, Local Government Association of Queensland and Queensland Police Service on the committee who are not regulators, but have interest in the safe storage and handling of dangerous goods.