Queensland's reliable infrastructure

In this guide:

Benefits of doing business in Queensland

Queensland's sophisticated, reliable and highly efficient infrastructure compares favourably against other high-growth destinations worldwide.

The Queensland Government is continuously upgrading hard infrastructure (including roads and energy networks) while also supporting soft infrastructure development (e.g. research and development, and innovation) - the key to growing a knowledge-based economy.

Queensland's commitment to strong and up-to-date infrastructure offers your business or investment many benefits, including:

a stable environment that caters for Queensland's growing population
opportunities to tender for a range of infrastructure projects.

South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan

The Queensland Government's $134 billion South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan includes more than 230 infrastructure developments or upgrade projects to be completed. The plan is expected to support about 930,000 jobs through to 2013. Projects include:

$97.7 billion in transport
$6.8 billion in health
$3 billion in education and training
$5.4 billion in energy
$1.5 billion in water
$3.8 billion in community services
$16 billion in completed projects.

Queensland is set to spend around $15 billion on infrastructure capital works in 2011-12.

Queensland Infrastructure Plan

The inaugural Queensland Infrastructure Plan (QIP) identifies the infrastructure needed to support and further encourage growth across Queensland's major regional economic zones of minerals, coal and energy, gas, agriculture, tropical expertise and tourism.

The plan identifies nearly 1000 projects and programs across the state over the next 20 years. Read the Queensland Infrastructure Plan on the Department of Local Government and Planning website, including information about how the plan will be implemented in Queensland´s regions:

Far North Queensland
North Queensland
Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday
Central Queensland
Wide Bay Burnett
Darling Downs South West
South East Queensland.

Government spending on infrastructure by state ($ billion)

Year	Queensland	New South Wales	Victoria	Western Australia	South Australia
2011-12	15	15.3	7.4	7.6	3.3
2010-11	15.1	16.6	9.5	7.6	3.7
2009-10	18.2	18	11.5	8.3	3.9
2008-09	16.1	13.7	4.4	5.7	2.3
2007-08	14.3	11.3	4.2	6.7	1.5

Source: Australian State and Territory Budget Papers

Rebuilding Queensland after the natural disasters that occurred in the summer of 2010-11 is a priority for the state, with $6.8 billion in disaster funding allocated in the 2011-12 budget, including:

$2.9 billion for roads
$2.75 billion for local governments
$656 million for small business, non-profit organisations and primary producers.

The Queensland Government remains committed to delivering key infrastructure and rural economic development initiatives to ensure regional Queensland remains sustainable, livable and prosperous. This commitment is reflected in the 2011-12 budget, where more than 58% of capital expenditure will occur outside the greater Brisbane area.

Learn more about economic development in regional Queensland.

Road infrastructure

In 2011-12, the Queensland Government will provide $5.448 billion for roads and other transport infrastructure, including:

$3.931 billion for critical investment in the road network and public transport infrastructure
$1.438 billion for rail and ports.

Air infrastructure

Queensland has 5 international airports located in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton with daily services to many destinations. Major regional airports include Mackay, Maroochydore, Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Bundaberg and Kingaroy.

Brisbane is a major hub for international air services, with more than 200 international flights servicing 21 countries and an increasing list of destinations each week. The Brisbane Airport:

is Australia's best-performing airport according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)
offers passengers direct connections to 31 international and 44 domestic destinations.

Sea infrastructure

Queensland has 15 trading ports, 2 commodity ports and 3 gazetted ports. The Port of Brisbane is Queensland's largest trading port and Australia's fastest growing container port.

Queensland's port authorities provide a broad range of facilities that cater for the diverse land/sea interface requirements for their trade catchment areas.

Electronic infrastructure

Access to state-of-the-art information technology and communications (ICT) infrastructure gives Queensland businesses and industry the opportunity to compete in the global marketplace.

Energy infrastructure

Queensland has a modern, reliable and secure energy network.

Powerlink Queensland, a government-owned corporation, has the largest capital works program in the electricity transmission sector in Australia, investing more than $2.9 billion in capital projects over the 5-year period from 2009-10 to 2013-14.

Queensland Government capital expenditure on energy infrastructure for the period 2011-14 will include:

$3.52 billion for government-owned energy corporations
$423 million for overhaul, upgrade and major maintenance.

Queensland supports a clean energy future with government strategies and funding that encourages continued investment in the renewable energy industry, and manages the growth in electricity demand.

The 2011-12 Queensland State Budget provides a $32.9 million solar package and initiatives to stimulate geothermal energy growth.

Health infrastructure

The Queensland Government continues its significant investment in health infrastructure with a $1.82 billion capital program. The focus for 2011-12 includes investment in: