While the Cairns region has been earmarked for a 34% increase in capital expenditure in the 2023/24 State Budget, the commitment still leaves the region trailing Townsville, the Outback, Central Queensland, and Wide Bay in term of per capita investment.
An analysis of the State Budget, which was tabled 13 June, shows that State Government capital expenditure (purchases and grants) for the Cairns region for 2023/24 is $1.25 billion, which is 34% higher than 2022/23 ($928 million) and 29% higher than 2021/22 ($962 million).
This equates to a capital expenditure of $4,773 per person (capita) in the Cairns region, the fifth highest per capita budgeted spend of any region outside of South-East Queensland.
While the analysis shows a 32% increase in capital expenditure investment per person for the Cairns region for 2023/24, the increase is low in comparison to Central Queensland ($8,536 per capita, an increase of 97%) and Wide Bay ($5,865 per capita, an increase of 45%).
Townsville's per capita spend however increased by a smaller percentage than Cairns at 18% (up to $4,901 per capita).
The per capita spend of $4,773 is the highest level of capital expenditure investment seen in Cairns over the 10 year period 2014/15 to 2022/23.
However, despite the increase, over the 10 years to 2023/24 budgeted capital expenditure (purchases and grants) per person for the Cairns region remains the lowest of any region outside South-East Queensland (ranked 7th overall).
Cairns Mayor Bob Manning welcomed the State Government's increased commitment; however he pointed out Cairns was still well behind other regions.
"Of course, we welcome and thank the State Government for the recent upward trend in State capital investment in our region, and note there are important projects earmarked in this budget, as well as in the future.
"I want to acknowledge the work of our local State members (Curtis Pitt, Craig Crawford and Michael Healy) in achieving this result, which includes their ongoing support for Council's Cairns Water Security Stage 1 Project.
"However, when you look over the last decade, our region still has the lowest per capita investment from the State Government of any region outside South-East Queensland, so I'd say there is still some catching up to do.
"We remain significantly below the per capita spend for other regions: 13% less than the Toowoomba/Darling Downs region; 36% less than the Central Queensland (Fitzroy) region; 14% less than the Townsville region; and 5% less than the Mackay region.
"We do not begrudge those regions the funding they have received, all we want is for Cairns to get its fair share.
"To address this gap and to secure further State investment in critical infrastructure, we will continue to work collaboratively with our local members, especially in the lead-up to the 2024 State election, to ensure that our region can continue to grow and prosper."
The Queensland Government has budgeted significant investment across a range of infrastructure types in the Cairns region in 2023/24, including nearly $70 million for social housing, $30.9 million to progress the duplication of the Cairns Western Arterial Rd, $21.5 million for the new mental health unit at the Cairns Hospital, $5.9 million for the Captain Cook Highway upgrade from the CBD to Smithfield, as well as $6.7 million for the construction of the Cairns Southern Access Cycleway.
While not specifically/individually listed in the forward estimates, the Queensland Government Budget Papers also include funding commitments for Cairns Water Security - Stage 1 ($107.5 million); $180 million for expansion of the Cairns Marine Precinct and development of a Common User Facility; $250 million to deliver an additional 96 beds for the Cairns and Hinterland region.
It is noted that the per capita analysis in the report is based on the resident population of each region.
The Cairns region has a significant visitor population. Had this visitor population been included in the analysis, the already significant gap between the Cairns region per capita spend and that of other regions over the past ten years would be even wider.
