Queenslanders are being promised a state budget that is “absolutely focused” on cost of living pressures.
The Palaszczuk government has signalled various rebates to ease the pain of rising bills and interest rates in the measures Treasurer Cameron Dick will hand down on Tuesday.
Among them is expected to be an increase in the existing $175 energy rebate, which was announced previously by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to help people struggling with power bills.
The measure will be more than welcome in regional Queensland after residents last week were hit with the highest electricity increase in the country of 29 per cent.
The premier on Monday said billions of dollars would be allocated towards cost of living measures.
Mr Dick also promised funding boosts for health, housing and police.
“This budget will be all be about housing, health and of course delivering better community safety and improving the cost of living,” he said.
Mr Dick said the budget needed to balance helping with the cost of living and ensuring government spending did not make inflation worse.
The government has been under pressure over problems in the health system such as gaps in maternity services and ambulance delays.
It has faced criticism over the state’s shortage of social housing and its handling of youth crime.
The opposition on Monday said the government had made a lot of announcements during the past eight years but had not delivered much.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk has failed Queenslanders on housing, she has failed people on crime and she has failed people on the costs of living and health crisis that we have in the state,” LNP deputy leader Jarrod Bleijie said.
The cost of living measures come as the government is flush with money from higher coal and petroleum royalties, with the budget update six months ago forecasting a $5.2 billion surplus for 2022/23.
Government debt is set to reach $14.5b at the end of the financial year.
The update forecast economic growth to continue but it would be limited by rising interest rates and a weaker global outlook.
Higher coal prices and controversial changes last year to the state’s royalties regime could net the government even more revenue than forecast, with the Queensland Resources Council predicting coal companies will deliver $13b for the state’s coffers.
The council on Monday renewed its campaign against the progressive three-tier royalties system introduced last year, saying it would cost jobs and investment.
But the treasurer hit back, saying the mining lobby should show some respect to Queenslanders struggling with the cost of living and not complain about paying a little more tax.
