Treasurer Delivers First North Queensland Budget Address

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this year’s North Queensland Budget Address with Queensland Treasurer, Minister for Energy and Minister for Home Ownership, David Janetzki MP.

Hosted by Townsville Enterprise, the event brought together regional leaders, business and industry representatives, and elected officials to hear directly from the Treasurer on how this year’s State Budget will impact North Queensland.

The Treasurer’s address acknowledged the important role regional Queensland plays in powering the State’s economy and outlined key investments that will shape our region’s future.

The Budget reflects a strong vote of confidence in North Queensland’s economic future, with over $2.6 billion in regional investment for Townsville North Queensland, including:

• Major highway infrastructure upgrades

• Increased housing investment

• Significant commitments to transformational projects like CopperString

It was reassuring to hear the Treasurer make a clear commitment that Copperstring will go all the way to Mount Isa, connecting the Northwest Minerals province to the National Electricity Market (NEM) and unlocking significant opportunities for renewables across the corridor.

The Treasurer also reiterated the seriousness and urgency of the imminent closure of the Mount Isa Copper Smelter and Townsville Copper Refinery. He confirmed conversations were ongoing and that rescuing these facilities was of upmost importance to the Crisafulli government.

We thank the Treasurer and the Crisafulli government who have clearly listened to the North. We can see the solid commitments to Townsville Enterprise’s “Unlock the North” Budget submission to many of the long-term projects that will drive growth and jobs across the North.