Roads, water, investment: Crisafulli’s four-year plan to stay in power

Premier David Crisafulli has declared his sights are set on a blueprint of “generational” infrastructure, the state’s transport system, and water security to keep LNP in government.

Premier David Crisafulli addressed the Queensland State LNP State Council meeting in Rockhampton.

The LNP must make its case to Queenslanders in order to stay in government beyond one term Premier David Crisafulli has declared.

And his sights are set on a blueprint of “generational” infrastructure through the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the state’s transport system, and water security.

Mr Crisafulli, in a speech to the LNP party faithful in Rockhampton on Sunday, said the next four years would be spent fulfilling the promises made to Queenslanders across crime, housing, health and cost of living but the term wouldn’t be enough to “do all that we have to”.

“Beyond that we have to set our state up for generational government and that is talking about the platforms that Queensland needs into the future,” he said.

The newly-minted Premier has been underlining the importance of the LNP securing back-to-back terms in government since he declared victory on election night.

A Liberal or National government has not won back-to-back elections in Queensland since 1986.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli.

Mr Crisafulli pointed to the 2032 Games as a “window and an opportunity” to work across all three levels of government.

But there were desperately needed infrastructure pieces, including to transport people in growing regions of Queensland and also in rural and regional areas.

“We have to find a way to make sure that country roads are to a standard where people aren’t dying just going about their daily existence,” he said.

“We have to deliver water infrastructure, not just for rural and regional areas who need new opportunities for mining and agriculture, but also for growing population bases, where we run the very real risk of running out of water if we don’t plan.”

Mr Crisafulli also took aim at the former government, saying certainty of regulation and ensure taxation was not a “play thing” would make Queensland an attractive place for investment.

“If we can prove to people over the next four years about what good, calm, stable government looks like, they will invest, and they’ll invest for a long, long time,” he said.

“And that helps working people, people who don’t have the opportunity that we do, to be able to shape policy.

“People who are just going about their life, but we owe it to them to be able to feel like they are getting ahead in life for them and for their kids.”

Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie could play a big role in LNP’s future.

The government frontbench, in Rockhampton on the weekend for the LNP’s twice-yearly state council, will remain in the beef capital on Monday for a regional meeting of cabinet.

It’s expected the meeting will be held at CQ University, with the government locked in to deliver a slew of commitment to the regional university’s Rockhampton site.

This includes a promise to build a TAFE facility, with the impacted precinct to provide a dual benefit of making space for 500 homes to be built.

“We want to look people in central Queensland in the eye and say that we’re going to deliver what we promised we would,” Mr Crisafulli said.