- Delivering world-class services for Townsville, including $1.5 billion for the Townsville Hospital and Health Service
- Productivity-enhancing infrastructure and capital works totaling $1.5 billion in 2024-25
- Funding of $71 million to maintain, improve and upgrade local schools.
Townsville and North Queensland are set to benefit from a Budget boost to health, education and community safety priorities.
The 2024-25 Queensland Budget features a nation-leading $11.218 billion in concession and rebates to provide cost-of-living relief to Queenslanders, alongside a record $107.262 billion capital program for infrastructure statewide.
In Townsville, the Miles government is investing $136.1 million for the $530 million Townsville University Hospital Expansion in 2024-25 to enhance local access to health services for the region.
This hospital upgrade will provide up to 143 additional overnight beds and the construction of a new clinical building with a rooftop helipad to address increasing health service demands across the state over the next six years.
The Townsville Connection Road (Stuart Drive) is being upgraded to duplicate a connecting bridge over the Ross River, adjacent to the existing Bowen Road Bridge, as part of a $99.8 million total spend. This will increase capacity of the river crossing from two to four lanes, removing a bottleneck while improving safety and driveability.
For the Bwgcolman Community School on Palm Island, Premier Miles first Budget has allocated $8 million in 2024-25, from a total spend of $18.8 million, to improve the facilities.
This includes a new administration building, and a new home economics building that will support food studies and joint school and community events. Upgrades to a landscaped area will be also available for community use.
Further west, Powerlink is connecting Genex's renewable energy generation project at Kidston to the national electricity grid. The project includes a 275-kilovolt, 348‑tower electricity transmission line and two switching stations to connect Genex's pumped hydro, wind and solar project to the grid, aiding the decarbonisation of Queensland's energy system.
Townsville households will also benefit from community safety initiatives funded in the Budget, including a fast-track sentencing pilot and a High Risk Youth Court program to manage young people through the Children's Court.
The first stage of the biggest Queensland Police Service facility in North Queensland, the new Kirwan Police Complex, will be completed in 2025. This will include the $45 million Kirwan Police Station, a new PoliceLink call centre, and a Domestic, Family Violence and Vulnerable Persons Unit.
As stated by the Premier Steven Miles:
"I am doing what matters for Queenslanders, with major funding for households, health and infrastructure, no matter where in the state you are.
"As the North Queensland capital, Townsville is a growing centre and I am delivering more investment, to support that growth.
"My government has added another 304 extra doctors and 490 nurses in our term and since the start of 2023, we've enabled 4,123 fee-free TAFE courses for locals seeking to train, retrain or upskill in priority industries.
"I am proud to have helped 2,528 first homeowners in Townsville into a property with a First Home Owner Grant and I know raising the stamp duty threshold will help even more locals into their first homes."
As stated by the Deputy Premier and Treasurer Cameron Dick:
"Our responsible economic management means we can invest in our priorities, and our priority is Queenslanders.
"We are bolstering the Australian Government electricity bill relief by $1,000, meaning that Queensland households will receive a $1,300 credit on their electricity bills as part of our nation-leading $11.218 billion concession and rebates to provide cost-of-living relief to Queenslanders.
"We're backing North Queensland with world-class services – such as the $1.5 billion funding for the Townsville Hospital and Health Service - and $1.5 billion in 2024-25 for enabling infrastructure for the region to support roads, schools, health and our future energy grid."
As stated by Member for Townsville Scott Stewart:
"We know people cost of living is a serious issue for people in Townsville and that's why we're delivering more than $11 billion in concession and rebates to help Queenslanders.
"The reason we can deliver these cost-of-living measures including our $1000 power bill rebate is because of our progressive coal royalties – something that's at risk from the LNP."
As stated by Member for Mundingburra Les Walker:
"Townsville is a growing city and it's important we continue to invest in the services the capital of the north needs.
"That's why the $1.5 billion budget for Townsville Hospital and Health Service as well as the $136.1 million for the $530 million Townsville University Hospital expansion is so important for this community."
As stated by Member for Thuringowa Aaron Harper:
"I know how important backing our police and community safety initiatives is in Townsville which is what this budget is delivering.
"I have advocated fiercely for the new Kirwan Police Complex and the Miles Government is delivering this state-of-the-art facility through this budget."
Other Townsville Budget investments include:
- $63.5 million out of a $195 million total spend to construct a water pipeline from the Burdekin River near Tom Fenwick Pump Station, connecting with earlier stages of the Haughton Pipeline.
- $73.9 million in 2024-25 to continue planning and investigatory works for the raising and improvement of Burdekin Falls Dam.
- $18.4 million in 2024-25 out of a $251.2 million total spend to complete widening of the shipping channels at the Port of Townsville. Delivered in partnership with the Australian Government.
- $30.8 million out of a $1 billion total spend committed towards an Inland Freight Route (Charters Towers to Mungindi). Delivered in partnership with the Australian Government.
- $27.9 million out of a $89.7 million total spend to develop and deliver the whole-of-government Queensland Quantum and Advanced Technologies Strategy and Queensland Quantum Academy.
- $19.2 million for joint management of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Delivered in partnership with the Australian Government.
- $10 million in 2024-25 out of a $50 million total spend to support Queensland-based small-to-medium enterprises to deliver business improvement projects in the Backing Business in the Bush Fund.
- $30 million to progress the government's commitment from the Independent Review of Queensland Fire and Emergency Services for Disaster Management Reforms.
- $59.1 million out of a $162.6 million total spend to provide 6,500 training places for eligible Queenslanders who are passionate about healthcare to study the Diploma of Nursing for free in 2024 and 2025.
- $700,000 in 2024-25 out of a $1 million total spend to build the state-of-the-art early intervention and childcare centre, the new AEIOU Townsville Centre for 40 children with autism.
