The extraordinary surplus – the biggest ever recorded by a state or territory authorities – comes on the again of upper coal costs and a $1.7 billion enhance in tax income in 2022-23, however will quickly be diminished to a simmer with a deficit forecast in 2023-24 earlier than a return to surplus throughout 2024-25 to 2026-27.
Presenting the finances to parliament this afternoon, the treasurer stated the excess would permit the state to ship its greatest cost-of-living program, in addition to its greatest constructing program whereas additionally paying down debt.
“The highest priority of this budget is cost-of-living relief,” Dick stated.
“That priority is to deliver cost-of-living relief, but to do so in a way that does not add to inflationary pressures.
“This finances delivers the strongest direct cost-of-living help package deal of any Australian state authorities.”
How will the budget save me money?
All Queensland households will receive a $550 rebate on their electricity bills.
For vulnerable households, this increases to $700, in addition to the existing $372 rebate under the Queensland Electricity Rebate Scheme.
Eligible small businesses will receive a $650 electricity rebate.
About 50,000 four-year-olds will now be able to attend kindergarten for free across the state, in addition to the 14,000 who already receive free kindy, saving families about $4600 a year.
The government will fund 15 hours of kindergarten per week, for 40 weeks of the year, for children in the year before they start school at a cost of $645 million over four years.
There’s also up to $150 for learn-to-swim activities for eligible kids under four in the form of FairPlay vouchers.
Rural and regional patients will see a $70.3 million boost to the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme, which assists those who have to travel to access essential health care services.
School breakfast programs in areas experiencing hardship will be expanded to the tune of $2.7 million over two years and Foodbank will receive $315,000 in grant funding.
It will also be cheaper to replace a driver’s licence, photo ID or industry authority card, with the fee reduced to $35.
Health, housing and safety
The state’s health budget has increased by 9.6 per cent to a record $25.8 billion.
Investments include the continuation of the health and hospitals plan which will see the opening of all seven satellite hospitals at Caboolture, Kallangur, Ripley, Eight Mile Plains, Tugun, Bribie Island, and Redlands as well as redevelopments at Caboolture and Logan Hospitals.
Redland Hospital will receive a new $150 million mental health facility, which should double its existing capacity.
The budget also promises $764 million to address ambulance ramping and emergency department wait times.
Doctors and healthcare workers will be offered up to $70,000 and $20,000 respectively to relocate to Queensland and nursing and midwifery students in regional, rural and remote parts of the state will receive a $5000 cost-of-living allowance.
In his budget speech, the treasurer acknowledged the state’s housing shortage, caused by supply chain and labour force issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
An additional $1.1 billion would be put into the housing portfolio to meet the rise in construction costs, he said.
To address youth crime, the government has promised $96 million for Youth Co-Responder Teams to engage with young people, $50 million for infrastructure developments at PCYCs and up to $30 million of funding for seniors to secure their homes.
$58.3 million will be invested over four years to implement the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence review.
The treasurer also spruiked the government’s capital program for the next four years, forecast to cost $89 billion.
$1.9 billion over four years will be spent on infrastructure for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The state’s transition to renewable energy under the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan will receive $19 billion total investment over four years.
Almost a billion dollars will be spent acquiring land for new school sites and state schools will receive $358 million for new learning spaces and $259 million in an expansion of the school halls program.
The budget also sees a $6.9 billion investment in transport infrastructure including $420 billion towards Stage 1 of the Coomera Connector and $260 million towards Stage 3 of the Gold Coast Light Rail.
LNP opposition leader David Crisafulli will deliver a budget reply speech on Thursday.
Source: www.9news.com.au
