Frequently asked questions

 

  • Why do you ask who I am when I visit the site? We aim to provide the most interesting information which is relevant to you. By selecting an audience type, we provide you with tailored homepage content. You can access all content in the site however this function just enable us to provide you with a fast, easy and overall better experience.
  • Where is the contractor log in? You can access the portal for QAO contractors via the link in the footer called 'contractor portal.' You can register to become a supplier for QAO via the 'register as a supplier' form on the contact us page. The contact us page can be found from the main header menu, on the top right hand side of the page.
  • How do I recommend an audit? You can recommend a topic for a performance audit topic from the form called 'suggest a performance audit topic' available on the contact us page.  
  • Where can I view audit reports? All reports which are tabled in parliament are available on the reports to parliament page which is found under the reports and resources drop down menu option, found on the main header menu at the top of the page. .

 

Accessibility features   

This site has been designed to ensure its content is available to as many users as possible, including:

  • people with disabilities who may use assistive technologies
  • people with slower internet connections (including some rural and regional users) or less than state of-the-art equipment
  • people with non-PC internet devices including handheld devices, game consoles and mobile phones.

The accessibility features available on this site include:

  • access keys to access certain information using your keyboard
  • skip links and a logical tab order to navigate using assistive technologies
  • adherence to international web standards
  • ARIA compliant keyboard navigation for rich interactive components and the use of the Queensland Government Consistent User Experience Standard.

Keyboard access

This website has been developed to be fully accessible via keyboard and using alternate input devices.

On this page:

  1. Access keys
  2. Skip links
  3. Tab order
  4. ARIA keyboard navigation.

Access keys

Access keys are keyboard shortcuts which deliver quick access to important links on this site without using your mouse. Access keys may benefit people with motor skill difficulties who use assistive technologies.

The access keys used on qld.gov.au are:
1: not in use
2: Queensland Government website home
3: not in use
4: contact us
5: search
6: not in use
7: not in use
8: not in use
9: not in use
0: access key help

How to use access keys

If you are using a Windows computer: press Alt and the access key number to highlight the link. Press enter to go to the linked page.

If you are using Macintosh computer: press control and the access key number to highlight the link, then press return to go to the linked page.

Skip links

If you are using an assistive technology such as a screen reader to browse this site, skip links are provided at the beginning of the page to allow you to move quickly to key information such as the primary navigation, secondary navigation or content.

The links are not visible in a graphical browser but can be access as the first links in the tab order for each page.

Tab order

The Queensland Government website (qld.gov.au) has a logical tab order for navigating without a mouse. Use the tab key on your keyboard to move to the next link or field. Use shift plus tab to move backwards, and the enter key to follow links and submit forms. Most browsers support these functions.

ARIA keyboard navigation

All rich interactive elements on the Queensland Government website can be navigated using key combinations recommended by the Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) standard.

When using a browser that supports ARIA, you can:

  • use the tab key to enter an interactive element as part of the tab order for the page
  • use the arrow keys to move focus between the different controls for the interactive element; and
  • use the Enter key to activate a focussed control
  • use the tab key to move to the next set of controls or to leave the interactive element.

The following browsers are known to support ARIA:

  • Internet Explorer 8 and later
  • Firefox 2 and later
  • Opera 9 and later
  • Google Chrome.

When using a browser that does not support ARIA all controls are still accessible as part of the normal tab order.

Browser support

The Queensland Government strives to make its public web resources compatible with a range of browsers, devices and platforms.

This is achieved by developing web resources according to international web standards and best practice, and regular testing across a range of different browsers.

The content on the page you came from is accessible to all browsers and internet devices, but may not display well in browsers which do not comply with these standards. If you are experiencing problems with any of our pages, please let us know.

Navigation

When using this website, there are a number of ways that you can move around the site to access information and services.

Site navigation

The site navigation is a menu located at the top of each page. This menu contains links to:

  • About us
  • Audits in Queensland
  • Reports and resources
  • Careers
  • Contact us

Section navigation

Section navigation is a menu used on all index and content pages on qld.gov.au and provides you with links to other pages within that section of the website. The section navigation (menu) will appear in the left-hand column on these pages.

Footer

The footer menu includes a site map with links to the major sections of the website. It also contains the Queensland Government legal and privacy notices, information on the access keys utilised through this site and information on multilingual services (if required).

Keyboard navigation

Several features have been included to help you navigate using a keyboard or alternate input devices or assistive technologies:

  • Access keys
  • Skip links
  • Tab order

Search

The site search facility can be found in the top right hand corner of all web pages on this site.

To perform a search, enter one or more words in the search box and click the search button (or press the Enter key on your keyboard).

Search box

As the search tool is not case-sensitive, there is no need to use capital letters. Using words such as a, an, the, or, and of will not improve the results of the search.

Any documents containing all your words will be displayed first, followed by documents that contain some of your words.

Subscribing to news and information

The latest news and information (including tabled reports to parliament) can be subsribed to from the 'Subscribe' form available on the Contact us page of this site. The Contact us page is found under the main header at the top, right hand side of the main home page.

Downloading and viewing documents

 

Portable Document Format

To view Portable Document Format (PDF) files, you will need to have Adobe Reader installed. This can be downloaded free-of-charge from the Adobe website.

Use the Adobe Reader to:

  • View a document by selecting the link text. The document will load into the reader.
  • Save a document for later viewing by right-clicking your mouse on the link text and selecting Save Target As and saving the file in your preferred location.

If you have a Macintosh with a single button mouse:

  • Save a document for later viewing by holding down the control key while you click your mouse on the link text. Select Save Link As or Download Link to Disk and save the file in your preferred location.

 
Microsoft Office files

To view, save and print Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files you will need either Microsoft Office, or the free Microsoft Office Online viewers, installed on your computer.

You can download the free Microsoft Office Online viewers from the links below:

  • Word (.doc and .docx files)
  • Excel (.xls and .xlsx files)
  • PowerPoint (.ppt and .pptx files)

Visit the accessibility section for details about navigating this site using assistive technologies.

To view Word, Excel or PowerPoint files:
View a document by selecting the link text. The document will load into the reader.

To save Word, Excel or PowerPoint files:

  • Save a document for later viewing by right-clicking your mouse on the link text and selecting Save Target As and saving the file in your preferred location.

If you have a Macintosh with a single button mouse:

  • Save a document for later viewing by holding down the control key while you click your mouse on the link text. Selecting Save Link As or Download Link to Disk and save the file in your preferred location.

Consistent user experience

The Queensland Government has developed a Consistent User Experience Standard which is used on all government agency websites. The purpose of the standard is to ensure that visitors:

  • can find the information they need quickly and easily
  • do not have to learn new navigation methods when using different Queensland Government agency sites
  • can move from one site to another with familiarity.

To make this consistent experience a reality, the standard requires that:

  • agency web pages are laid out consistently, with elements such as the navigation, search button and agency name always in the same place
  • navigation is based on what visitors are likely to be looking for, rather than on how departments are organised
  • the underlying techniques used to create the pages ensure they are accessible to as many people as possible.