Queenslanders are being showered with electricity bill relief, free kindy and other cost of living measures as soaring coal and gas royalties power the state budget to a historic surplus.
Treasurer Cameron Dick said the $12.3 billion surplus for 2022/23 was the largest for any state or territory and declared help was on the way for people struggling with rising inflation and interest rates.
"In this budget, our government will deliver greater and more widespread cost of living relief than any other government in Australia, state or federal," he said on Tuesday.
Mr Dick said the largesse was possible because of the government's progressive royalties regime introduced last year, which brought in an extra $10.5b amid high coal and gas prices.
"We can deliver our state's biggest cost of living program, our state's biggest building program and deliver lower debt because of one simple reason - progressive coal royalties," the treasurer said.
"Our decision to take on the mining lobby, to stand our ground and to fight for the people of our state, has delivered a rich reward for Queenslanders."
Mr Dick announced expanded cost of living relief, including an increase in the electricity bill rebate to $550 for all households - up from $175 - and more than $1000 for eligible concession holders.
The rebates mean low-income households such as pensioners might pay nothing for electricity in the next financial year.
The other big-ticket item was $645 million over four years to provide 15 hours a week of free kindergarten for all four-year-olds.
"Over the course of a year, that means an average saving of $4600 for many Queensland families," Mr Dick said.
With the government under pressure over the state's health system, the treasurer announced a funding boost of more than nine per cent, including money to reduce ambulance ramping and emergency department wait times.
More than $1 billion was earmarked for social housing as the state deals with a shortage.
Mr Dick touted the state's infrastructure spend, forecast to be $89b over four years.
Projects include the 2032 Olympics, the Fitzroy to Gladstone water pipeline, the Borumba Pumped Hydro project and stage one of the Coomera Connector motorway.
The opposition said the treasurer’s budget failed to repair frontline services or deliver long-term cost of living relief.
"Treasurer Dick has pocketed an extra $60b than he forecast in his first budget less than three years ago, but the state has nothing to show for it," shadow treasurer David Janetski said.
"After the rivers of gold dry up, Queensland will have nothing to show but the highest debt in our state's history, the highest taxes and failing frontline services."
Social services body QCOSS said the cost of living measures would make a "concrete difference" to household budgets but warned the extra housing funding was not enough.
“Without a comprehensive plan to put a roof over the head of every Queenslander, the housing crisis will continue to get worse," CEO Aimee McVeigh said.
The Queensland Resources Council continued its campaign against the progressive royalties regime, saying it had shattered investor confidence.
"Queensland now relies on its viability in the economy in the coal sector and we are facing a big challenge in keeping investor confidence in that sector with royalty taxes at the highest in the world, and five times that of NSW," CEO Ian Macfarlane said.
The royalties bonanza is not expected to continue and revenue is forecast to fall sharply in 2023/24, as the surge in prices for coal and other commodities unwinds.
This will result in a forecast deficit of $2b in 2023/24.
Queensland's economy is forecast to grow two per cent in 2022/23 and increase to three per cent over the next two years.
