It’s a decades-old question but one that returned in 2024 as Matt Canavan, an LNP senator for the state, made the latest pitch for change.
As part of News Corp Australia’s Bush Summit series in August, Mr Canavan urged Queenslanders to divide the state in a bid to improve conditions in regional towns.
“All of our premiers and the prime minister are from capital cities. When the Council of Australian Governments meets (or now called the “National Cabinet”), there is no representation from regional Australia,” he wrote.
“ … Bush Summits are good, but what would be better is a Parliament with real decision making power based in regional Australia.
“The way to get that is to create new states.
“ … We now have developed areas of our nation that were previously sparsely populated. More than one million people now live in North Queensland, double the number in Tasmania.”
In an online poll, more than 50 per cent of readers voted for Queensland to be split.
In November many voted for Townsville as the capital city should the state be split in two.
However many insisted they did not want more politicians, while others were concerned of wider impacts of change.
See what you had to say below and join the conversation >>>
WHAT YOU SAID
Not a chance
CQ1
Where do you stop. Even if there was a split and you had North and South there would be Central Queensland sitting in the middle with a capital at each end of the state.
Lee
Not a chance, we have too many politicians and a bloated public disservice as it is.
Scott
We could just put Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Ipswich in their own SE QLD state and leave the rest as QLD. They would make no money, be in permanent debt, but at least a large chunk of the lefties would be gone.
John
Will never happen. How would the south fund anything without the mines and agricultural revenue. Which highlights the hypocrisy of Qld’s political suck on the regions with nothing going back.
RogerJ
2 days ago
No thanks. I’m already over governed. Politicians will be like coffee shops. One on every corner with two to spare.
I like it
Richard
Good than SEQ can finally be a modern region with day light savings
neville
North Queensland is bigger in area and population than Tasmania. In fact the Gold Coast has about the population of Tasmania. A North Queensland state would have more GDP than the south east so would progress faster.
Jill
A good argument from Senator Canavan – I would support a new state for North Queensland, even tho I live in Ipswich.
Pervis
Would agree it makes sense. No QLD state or federal govt seem to care much for regional/NQ they should get their own govt.
Greg
great. hurry up and do it so the southern part of qld can get daylight savings happening.
Great, more pollies
NCRWB
This is completely pointless. There is no provision in the Australian Constitution for more States. Populist silliness from Katter to keep his name in the headlines, given he achieves nothing through his token Parliamentary representation.
Andrew
More politicians and bureaucrats, just what we need! The ones we have now can’t do the job!
Helen
Do not need more politicians
Heather
Don’t just look at making a NQ a new state, do a total redistribution the entire country. Have less states, which means less politicians. Also, change the criteria from population to area. This would also reduce the number of politicians in capital cities. Australia is highly over-governed.
The Director
We already have three tiers of Government with too many politicians. We don’t need to burden the taxpayers by supporting a new state.
Originally published as What you said about proposal to split Qld into two states
