Qld budget 2023: Hard sell continues as ministers hit the road

As mining leaders gather in Brisbane to slam the state’s royalties grab, ministers are crisscrossing Queensland to sell the budget.

Queensland government ministers continued to tour the state on Tuesday to spruik the budget, with Treasurer Cameron Dick travelling to the Sunshine Coast and Education Minister Grace Grace stopping by Rockhampton.

Mr Dick visited the Aerospace Precinct on the Sunshine Coast, where a more than $18m million three-bay hangar will be based.

The investment will form part of the government’s near-$590m into LifeFlight over the next 10 years.

Meanwhile, Ms Grace visited an early learning centre in Rockhampton with MPs Barry O’Rourke and Brittany Lauga to speak with local media about the government’s free kindy scheme.

The annual post-budget tour continued as resource sector leaders gathered in Brisbane for the World Mining Congress in Brisbane to denounce the government’s $15bn coal royalty haul – the major source of income to deliver the cost-of-living-focused state budget.

Mr Dick said the state budget had allocated a $1.6bn investment in the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service to boost care across the region.

“We live in one of the most decentralised states in the country which is why having a world-class, dedicated, agile and reliable emergency helicopter rescue service is vital,” the Treasurer said.

“This $18.63 million investment will allow LifeFlight to build a new, purpose-built hangar, so they can house the larger and more modern helicopters required to deliver lifesaving care to Queenslanders in rural, regional and remote areas.”

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said the cash injection would allow the health service to run smoothly from its Sunshine Coast base.

“We are extremely fortunate to have such a dedicated and reliable aeromedical service in LifeFlight that some of our most sick and vulnerable can rely on in their hour of need, and we have committed to investing in its future,” she said.