The minister responsible for Queensland's newly created customer services department has promised to keep cash as a payment method for state government services.
The new LNP government established the department in the wake of its election victory in October, vowing to offer better ways for Queenslanders to access help.
In an interview with ABC Radio Brisbane, Customer Services Minister Steve Minnikin committed to maintaining the availability of cash payments for services provided by the state.
He acknowledged cash had dropped off in popularity as a payment method, but he insisted Queenslanders should have a choice when they dealt with the government.
Steve Minnikin is Queensland's new customer services minister. (ABC News: Rachel Riga)
"Cash is king. Cash is legal tender, and cash will be absolutely a payment method," he said.
"Obviously, a lot of people would prefer to just deal with something maybe on an app with a credit card. And that's fine.
"But we will still have the ability for people — if it's a face-to-face transaction — to pay with cash. We have had no discussion at all to wind back cash."
Mr Minnikin's comments come amid a federal government push to require businesses who sell essentials to keep accepting cash as a payment method.
Cash payments can be made for state government services such as vehicle registration.
Mr Minnikin said most people in modern society wanted to do business digitally but he also pointed out that some Queenslanders still wanted face-to-face or over-the-phone services.
"One million Queenslanders don't have access to proper telephony and telecommunications," he said.
"It's all fine and well to put all the eggs in just one channel of delivery like digital, but that won't fly the moment you start to head out to rural areas.
"That's why it's also compellingly important to have face-to-face and our call centres as well."
Steve Minnikin says he will look at making the licence renewal process easier via the digital licence app. (Supplied: Queensland government)
Mr Minnikin said his new department, which also had responsibility for open data and small business, would consider ways to streamline delivery across all products and services.
He highlighted the driver's licence renewal process as an example and suggested the government would look at how the digital licence app could be used for licence renewals.
The minister also signalled improvements to the government's call centre in a bid to stop callers from being passed around multiple operators.
"What we will look at doing is actually improving the products and service mix to make sure that call is absolutely dealt with wherever practicable by the one person wherever we can," he said.
"There will always be a need sometimes to actually concierge or on-forward that to a professional in a key area."