Queensland's public sector whistleblower protections must be bolstered through new legislation and the disclosure threshold raised to stamp out trivial grievances, a review says.
The review of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010, led by retired Supreme Court judge Alan Wilson KC, was released on Tuesday after being delivered to the state government.
It found the state's whistleblower legislation has atrophied, with the efforts of many public servants to expose and remedy wrongdoing impeded or thwarted.
"The review has concluded that necessary improvements to the legislation are of such significance and number as to call for a brand new act with a new title and clarified objects," Mr Wilson's 309-page report reads.
"That new act will repair myriad small defects and shortcomings identified by the review and, more importantly, introduce significant reforms."
A higher disclosure threshold should be enacted to target conduct involving corruption, serious maladministration, serious misuse of public resources and serious danger to the environment or public health and safety.
"Otherwise, the public sector should not be burdened by public interest disclosures which are solely personal workplace grievances, ideological in nature, or trivial," the report said.
Whistleblowers need better support, protections and remedies, with Mr Wilson calling for a support unit to be set up within the Queensland Ombudsman's office.
Other recommendations are designed to expand the definition of a public sector entity to ensure more are subject to the legislation, enhance oversight of the scheme and provide clearer requirements for managing disclosures.
Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath said the Palaszczuk government broadly supported the review's findings as it considers all 107 recommendations.
"At first look, this is a game-changing review that will give whistleblowers more protections and, ultimately, the confidence to come forward," she said in a statement.
In June, Queensland Health's director-general Shaun Drummond resigned after the body made a submission to the review proposing criminal penalties against staff who disclosed inappropriate information to journalists.
