From the second Bruce to satellite hospitals: Qld’s big promises yet to be ticked off

Barely half of the Palaszczuk government’s last election promises have been ticked off more than two years into Labor’s third term - and other pledges are still not off the ground.

Barely half of the Palaszczuk government’s last election promises have been ticked off more than two years into Labor’s third term ­– with other key promises still not off the ground.

According to the government’s latest election progress report, 52 per cent of promises have been completed ­– though the categorisation of what constitutes completed varies.

One such promise marked completed includes the government’s flagship “satellite hospital” program, which was billed during the 2020 election as an “Australian-first”.

The site of the Tugun satellite hospital last year. Picture: Nigel Hallett

But while the election pledge was for the program to cost $265m and the seven facilities would open by May 2023, last month it was revealed the costs had blown out by $110m to $379.9m – and at least two sites would not be operational until 2024.

Labor’s key pledge to build a “second Bruce” if elected in 2020 to improve the state’s inland freight route has been marked as “in progress” – despite there still being no start date and no expected completion date.

When asked about the promise, a government spokesman said “more than $170 million in funding has been committed over the next four years for the second Bruce Highway and the Palaszczuk government is consulting with industry and our federal counterparts on a priority package of works”.

A second Bruce Highway is yet to have a start date. Picture: Josh Woning

Another election promise marked as “in progress” was the repeated assurances there would be “no new or increased taxes for four years”.

A spokesman said the “Palaszczuk Government has delivered on its promise of no new taxes on Queensland households” ­– though “households” was not part of the original election promise, and is not mentioned in the government’s own progress report.

Within this term the government has increased the mining royalty rate, introduced a mental health levy on businesses, and changes to land tax – later dumped under pressure – were also flagged.

Key 2020 election promises already delivered included introducing voluntary assisted dying legislation and free sanitary items for state schools.

The government also claimed success for the “delivery of 246 school upgrades worth over $260 million, hiring more frontline workers and delivering more than $14 million worth of upgrades to TAFE facilities”.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

A spokesman pointed to global challenges as to why some key infrastructure project promises appeared to be off-track.

“Many infrastructure projects around the world are facing challenges including with the labour market and commodity availability, but the government remains focused on delivery”,” he said.

“52 per cent of commitments made during the 2020 campaign are complete with 48 per cent underway.”

Election promises from 2015 and 2017 have also been shelved or “superseded”, including the promise to have a stand-alone Department of Local Government and a dedicated Minister for Local Government.

A 2017 pledge to “develop a solution to deliver sustainable energy for the Daintree” has been classed as superseded after a feasibility study didn’t deliver an option which satisfied all the criteria, or was fully supported.

A 2015 promise to assist Cape York and the Great Sandy Region’s nomination to UNESCO was dropped after a “lack of co-operation from the federal government”, while a push to have the Gold Coast’s northern beaches and South Stradbroke Island recognised as national surfing reserves and added to the proposed World Surfing Reserve was shelved after “stakeholder advice”.