Healthcare The Big Winner In Queensland State Budget 2022

The Queensland government handed down its State Budget on Tuesday, delivering economic recovery to recharge the state.

Ticketing the 2022-2023 budget as "the best one yet", Treasurer Cameron Dick unveiled the funding allocations with the centrepiece focused on health spending.

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The $23.6bn investment in healthcare includes hiring 9,450 healthcare workers, building three new hospitals in Bundaberg, Toowoomba and Coomera and add 2,200 new hospital beds.

“It is a budget that puts healthcare first,” Dick said.

“We are taking advantage of global shifts, like decarbonisation and digitalisation, to realise opportunities in our traditional and emerging industries and help to create more jobs.”

Hospital expansions have also been flagged for Cairns, Townsville, Robina, Mackay, Redcliffe, Ipswich and Hervey Bay, as well as the Princess Alexandra hospital, the QEII Hospital, the Prince Charles hospital and Logan hospital - all in the greater Brisbane area.

The government has also spruiked “an Australian-first” Cancer Centre to be built at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

Other big winners, include:

• Health Services: mental health, addiction, substance abuse and suicide - $1.6 billion over five years
  
• Queensland Rail: replace, renew and upgrade rail infrastructure - $358m
• Olympic Games organising committee - $60 million over four years
• Management of protected areas: including national parks and Great Barrier Reef - $262.5 over 10-years.
• Protecting threatened species and koala in South East Queensland - $40 million
• Natural disaster recovery: council directed clean-ups - $30 million
• Disaster Recovery Funding for impacted communities - $721 million
• Jointly funded Resilient Homes Fund - $741 million
• Education and training - $19.6 billion
• Sport: maintain the state’s portfolio of major sporting stadiums and high performance / community venues - $254.2 million over four years

In a statement the Treasurer said the budget "supports more businesses in industries across traditional and emerging sectors, attracts investment and creates new opportunities"

"It’s a budget that recognises cost-of-living pressures and aims to make life a bit easier for Queenslanders through record concessions funding, including energy rebates

"We are delivering on our promises, progressing Queensland’s path to economic growth, returning our budget to balance and reducing our debt profile," the Treasurer said.

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