Council analyses QLD State Budget

Long-term Council priorities were among projects included in over $1.1 billion of funding announced for Cairns in the recent Queensland State Budget, a 3% increase from 2025/26.

Additional classrooms, construction and upgrades to social housing, Cairns Water Security Stage 1, and expansions to the Cairns Port Marine Precinct are among the funded projects announced in the latest State Budget.

Other long-term Council advocacy priorities have also received financial backing.

Projects include a bus service connecting Cairns Airport to the CBD, improvements to public transport, trunk infrastructure funding to support the Mount Peter Priority Development Area and the Ryan Weare Park/Kamerunga Road to the Redlynch Strikers United Football Club/Brinsmead Road shared path.

Cairns Regional Council is now asking the Queensland Government to share a clear delivery timeframes for major projects with previous funding commitments, including Bruce Highway and Cairns Western Arterial Road upgrades, Barron River Bridge replacement, and the expansion of the Cairns Hospital, among others.

Per capita, the Queensland Government is investing $4,138 per person into the region for 2026/27. While growth compares favourably to the State average (a marginal average decrease overall), Cairns remains sixth for overall funding when compared with nine other regional areas, including Townsville, Wide Bay, Central QLD, and Mackay.

The analysis highlighted there has been a general upward trend in State capital expenditure in the Cairns region in recent years.  This is expected to continue in the medium term as a number of significant State capital projects (Cairns Health and Innovation Precent, Cairns Marine Precinct and Common User Facility, Cairns Western Arterial Road, Barron River Bridge at Kuranda etc) are progressively delivered.

Council welcomes the modest increase in per capita State investment for Cairns in the 2026/27 Queensland Budget. It’s a step in the right direction, but Cairns still trails several comparable regional centres for per capita capital expenditure.
As one of Queensland’s fastest-growing regions, we’ll continue advocating for the investment Cairns needs — and deserves.

View the  Budgeted investment  map for Queensland here.