Queensland's leading forensic lab will be scrutinised by a commission of inquiry and DNA threshold limits removed as police review hundreds of unsolved sexual assaults.
Widespread concerns have been raised about the state-run John Tonge Centre's failure to test crucial forensic evidence categorised as 'insufficient for further processing'.
The Queensland Police Service raised questions about existing thresholds preventing evidence processing, before ordering hundreds of samples to be retested.
Testing limits have been removed and every sample collected - no matter how small - will undergo DNA profiling, the government announced on Monday.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said serious concerns had been raised and the 'fresh evidence' from the QPS must be addressed.
"It is clear to me that nothing short of a full, open and rigorous Commission of Inquiry can restore confidence in DNA testing in this state," the premier said.
DNA threshold limits that have been in place since 2018 will be immediately removed, Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said.
Every sample will now undergo DNA profiling and potentially further testing depending on the outcome.
"I hope that gives everyone the confidence that they need while we await the outcomes of this review," Ms D'Ath said.
Queensland Police already have the power to ask for further testing when a sample comes back with an insufficient DNA reading, and that process will continue, she said.
Justice Walter Sofronoff, former Queensland Court of Appeal president, will head the commission of inquiry.
Set down for six months with a multi-million dollar budget the inquiry will examine all aspects and operations of the facility.
The government has already ordered a review of the laboratory operations to investigate threshold limits for DNA samples and compare Queensland to other jurisdictions.
Potential problems with the lab first came to light as a result of The Australian's podcast series Shandee's Story about the investigation into the brutal slaying of Shandee Blackburn.
The 23-year-old was stabbed more than 20 times on her way home from work in Mackay in February 2013.
Ms Blackburn was metres from her front door as she was attacked and killed.
Her former boyfriend, John Peros, a champion amateur boxer, was charged with murder but acquitted in the Supreme Court in 2017.
In August 2020, a Queensland coroner found Miss Blackburn died due to injuries sustained in an incident involving violence with Mr Peros who used a bladed instrument.
The coronial inquiry was reopened in February to consider "recent issues raised regarding the forensic evidence and testing of evidence in this case".
The terms of reference for the commission inquiry will be announced this week.