Health, infrastructure and education are among the big winner’s in this year’s Queensland Government budget, with more than $1 billion set to be invested across the Darling Downs this financial year.
In announcing the budget yesterday, Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick said there would be an expected deficit of $3.485 billion for 2021-22 with a return to a surplus of $153 million in 2024-25.
The estimated $3.8 billion deficit this financial year is lower than the $8.63 billion projected in December.
Among the big ticket items included in the $1.1 billion slated for the Darling Downs and South West Hospital and Health Services are $5.9 million out of a $42 million total spend for the construction of a two-theatre day surgery unit at the Baillie Henderson Hospital Campus as part of a $2 billion Hospital Building Fund to address growth pressures across the health system.
Other budget healthcare items include $4.9 million for construction projects to improve facilities at the Toowoomba Hospital site, including electrical infrastructure upgrades of essential power integration and $466,000 out of a $116.6 million total spend to redevelop Roma Hospital.
When it comes to infrastructure spending, the Queensland Government budget sets out a total of $763 million for productivity-enhancing infrastructure and capital works, which is estimated to support around 2500 jobs across the Darling Downs.
The infrastructure spending includes a $19.34 million investment in a drought resilience package to provide long-term water security for the local communities and includes immediate funding to construct new groundwater bores, upgrade critical infrastructure and unlock new water sources to extend the existing supply.
The funding also includes $8.1 million for Seqwater to lay the groundwork for the Toowoomba to Warwick pipeline.
Education is another key area of the 2021-22 budget with $67.7 million allocated to maintain, improve and upgrade schools on the Darling Downs.
Among the big winners were Wilsonton State High School which will receive $15 million to construct a new building for additional learning spaces and Toowoomba West Special School, which will receive $6.7 million in 2021-22 out of a total of $7.1 million to construct a new building for additional learning spaces and upgrade the administration building.
Highfields State School also scored $3 million in 2021-22 to upgrade its administration building.
Social housing on the Darling Downs has also been given a funding boost with $32 million to be invested over the next four years.
The boost is part of the Queensland Housing Strategy Action Plan 2021-2025, which was released in conjunction with new accelerated social housing targets for the Darling Downs.
The Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce says the State Government’s commitment to Toowoomba “appears lacking”, describing the region as the “Oliver Twist” of Queensland.
Toowoomba Chamber CEO Todd Rohl said while there were some positives in the state budget and welcomed the commitment to infrastructure investment in education, health and aviation, there are some glaring omissions.
“Commitment to infrastructure projects including water security, public transport, tourism facilities like a conference centre, sports stadium, Quarry Gardens, and the like, appear to be missing for another year,” he said.
Mr Rohl said overall the budget failed to live up to expectations.
