Palaszczuk Government’s budget delivers jobs for North Queenslanders

The Palaszczuk Government’s Budget will deliver thousands of jobs for North Queenslanders, with huge investment in infrastructure, health, education, power and water.

Visiting Townsville’s Ross River Dam today, Minister Assisting the Premier on North Queensland Coralee O’Rourke said the Budget recognised that families and businesses in the region needed jobs and opportunities.

“When the Palaszczuk Government was elected, the people of North Queensland felt abandoned and were losing hope with the shifts in the economy,” Mrs O’Rourke said.

“Our Government has heard the people of the north and we rejected the cruel cuts to frontline services and mass sackings undertaken by the LNP that put extra stress on local families.

“That is why we have put our responsibility to North Queensland families, businesses and communities first, and prioritised our investment in the North in this year’s Budget.

“In Townsville, we’ve set aside $225 million over four years to ensure the state is prepared to act on the findings of the Water Taskforce, and allocated $386 million for our Powering North Queensland Plan that will support 5000 jobs and stabilise electricity prices.

“In Cairns, we’re investing $176 million to extend the Convention Centre, and $120 million for the Indigenous Water Infrastructure Program over four years.

“Central Queenslanders will benefit $9.4 million in this Budget for the Yeppoon foreshore revitalisation and $5 million for the Rockhampton CBD development. 

“We have allocated $13.1 million in 2017-18 towards the Bruce Highway (Sandy Gully Bridge) upgrade for the Mackay region, and $15 million has been set aside to deliver the Whitsunday Airport upgrade.

“And in Outback Queensland, we’ve put forward a $39 million four-year package for the North West Minerals Province and $16 million this financial year towards the Kennedy Developmental Road (The Lynd to Hughenden) sealing.

“All of these projects will create jobs for North Queenslanders, which means families in the north can enjoy everything our region has to offer, businesses can thrive, and people in the north will have the future they deserve.”

Key initiatives that North Queenslanders will benefit from include:

-       $1.1 Billion Operation Queensland Recovery following Cyclone Debbie

-       $200 Million additional funding for Works for Queensland over two years

-       $175 Million Queensland Reef Water Quality Program over five years

-       $50 Million Back to Work Regional Employment Package

In 2017-18, the State Budget will directly support around:

-       3,300 jobs in Townsville

-       3,800 jobs in Far North Queensland

-       3,200 jobs in Central Queensland

-       2,300 jobs in Mackay

-       1,900 jobs in Outback Queensland, including the North West

Infrastructure investment in the State Budget includes:

-       $689.2 Million in Townsville

-       $819.2 Million in Far North Queensland

-       $788.1 Million in Central Queensland

-       $519.4 Million in Mackay

-       $428.2 Million in Outback Queensland, including the North West