Budget 2025-26 – Delivering for Queensland Speech

A budget is more than an outlook; it is an investment directly into the lives of Queenslanders and the communities they live in.

The Crisafulli government’s first budget is clear in its intention: to deliver for Queenslanders who have been left behind after 10 years of Labor’s economic mismanagement.

I want to reassure the previous speaker: we do know how to read budgets, and we are fixing Labor’s mess. We have seen 10 years of neglect. The Crisafulli government was elected on key priorities that sought to restore Queenslanders’ faith in a government they saw as broken.

Safety where you live, health services when you need them, respect for your money, a place to call home and a government that Works for Queenslanders: that is exactly what this budget delivers. This government will not take its mandate for granted. When I see the record-breaking investment we are making in youth justice and our police force, I think of Heidi Luck and her husband, Clint. Heidi and Clint are Bribie Island locals, committed to our community. Heidi is a local netball mum and fundraises for Guide Dogs Queensland, including for services on Bribie Island. When I doorknocked them last year, they shared their story about how young crims had broken into their home in the dead of night, stealing anything they could get their hands on while Heidi, Clint and their children were sound asleep. Their home was no longer a place they felt safe in. No Queenslander deserves to live in fear in their own home.

That is why the Crisafulli government’s investment in youth justice and policing aims to deter crime by: delivering faster justice for victims by appointing a new magistrate to the Caboolture Courthouse; strengthening the police front line with 130 new police recruits—one will be based on Bribie Island; making Jack’s Law permanent to give police stronger powers to detect and deter knife crime in public places; investing $147.9 million in body worn cameras, tasers, tyre deflation devices and more, because Labor failed to fund these essential crime-fighting resources; and providing $40 million through the Secure Communities Partnership Program to support councils in protecting local business precincts with crime prevention infrastructure like CCTV, bollards and secure fencing. Queenslanders expect accessible, reliable and affordable health services when they need them.

That was not the case for Beachmere local Jody Hollinger and her daughter. Her daughter was suffering from abdominal pain and nausea, and they went to Caboolture Hospital. After waiting 18 hours for treatment, it was too late: her appendix had burst. Labor’s record includes the worst ambulance ramping in the country, ballooning elective surgery waiting lists and a failure to fund critical hospital expansion projects.

That is why the Crisafulli government is reducing ramping, funding additional beds and boosting our regional hospital networks. After 10 years of neglect, this is the commitment Queenslanders deserve.

We have also invested $5.3 million in the Caboolture Youth Residential Rehabilitation Service to provide 24/7 care and long-term mental health support for young people aged 16 to 21, allocated $15 million to build a dedicated paediatric outpatients area at Caboolture Hospital and committed $367.7 million to support an additional 130 beds and refurbishment of critical clinical support services at Caboolture Hospital.

I also think of Gerri Marston, a Bribie Island local. Under the former government, she endured a one hour and 20-minute round trip three times a week from Bribie Island to North Lakes to receive low-risk cancer treatment. That is four hours of travel each week just to access the care she needed. The Crisafulli government is committed to delivering health services closer to home. That is why I am proud to deliver, alongside Minister Nicholls, cancer treatment services at the Bribie Island Satellite Health Centre. Gerri can now get the care she needs in her own community—a reality that never would have been delivered under the former government.

My community is home to sports clubs that strengthen our social fabric. Our government wants more kids playing sport in clubs that are supported and up to standard. We want every young athlete to dream of competing in the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Brendan Smith is a father of six -001 PAGE: 2 http://ropes/sites/ropes2013/Document Templates/ropes.docx and president of Bribie District Little Athletics. Labor’s cost-of-living crisis squeezed the budgets of families involved in his club. Brendan worried about the club’s future as families struggled with rising costs caused by Labor’s failure to manage the economy.

That is why we have made the biggest investment in sport through the Games On! program and Play On! sports vouchers, including: $2 million to expand the Bribie Island Surf Club, delivering better facilities for lifesavers, volunteers and beachgoers; $170,500 to resurface Bribie Island Netball Club courts, because our young athletes deserve safe, high-quality spaces on which to train and compete; $19,000 for a new PA system for Bribie District Little Athletics, improving communication and events for hundreds of local families; $920,000 for a permanent home for Bribie Island Movement and Strength Club—this club has produced national champions and deserves the best facilities; and $153,000 for new lighting at the Beachmere rugby club so games no longer need to be cancelled due to insufficient lighting and kids can play rugby safely at night.

This government is investing in the next generation of infrastructure for our rapidly growing community. Those opposite spent a decade making promises and rolling out slogans about the Bribie Island bridge, but their heart was never in it. They were content to wheel out billboards and scare campaigns at election time. Our government has done more than talk; we have delivered. We have released the long-awaited business case summary for the Bribie Island bridge, paving the way for real progress, not political posturing. We are also upgrading Bribie Island Road, as we said we would. This critical project is part of our broader commitment to upgrade Bribie Island Road to a four-lane standard.

For the 23,000 residents and tens of thousands of visitors who come to Bribie each year, the new bridge will improve safety, accessibility and traffic flow. It will also contribute to regional growth and economic development. Investing in safe, accessible transport options does not stop at roads and bridges; it extends to the everyday pathways and connections that link our communities together. That is why this budget includes: $3 million for the Elimbah active transport corridor, a 2.4-kilometre network of upgraded pathways linking key destinations from Pumicestone Road to the Wamuran rail trailhead on Beerburrum Road—features will include cycle lanes, safe crossings, improved lighting, signage, landscaping and greening; $750,000 for a 1.3-kilometre footpath along Beachmere Road, a high-traffic area that currently lacks pedestrian infrastructure; and $350,000 to complete the Bribie Island Road, Ningi footpath extension, closing the missing link and allowing safe access between the Ningi estates. Recognising the mobility challenges faced by our aging population, the Crisafulli government will also deliver funding for an on-demand bus service trial for Bribie Island. This service will give seniors a flexible, affordable and accessible option to attend medical appointments, go shopping and participate in community life.

It is a smart, practical investment that can serve as a model for other regions. We are also investing in beloved local assets: $500,000 to upgrade Beachmere’s Clayton Park junior playground, which no longer meets safety or community standards; and $100,000 to help U3A Bribie Island find a new home. With over 2,000 members and more than 150 volunteer-led classes each week, this group plays a vital role in lifelong learning and community connection. Labor’s cost-of-living crisis has resulted in more of my constituents relying on food banks than ever before.

This is a budget that provides targeted, deliberate cost-of-living relief to those who need it most. That is why we are honouring our $300,000 commitment to Meals on Wheels Moreton Bay, expanding services across Bribie Island and Caboolture. This funding will help meet rising demand for meals and welfare checks, allowing vulnerable residents and seniors to live independently and with dignity. Meals on Wheels is more than just food; it is care, community and connection.

We are also protecting our natural environment. This budget includes: $35 million for the Zero Litter to the Bay project, which targets plastic waste, improves catchment management and reduces litter entering the Pumicestone Passage and surrounding waterways; and funding for a new wildlife hospital in Dakabin, which, although outside our electorate, will serve injured wildlife across Pumicestone. The people of Pumicestone voted for change, and this budget proves that change is real.

We are building the infrastructure Labor only promised. We are funding the services Labor neglected. We are restoring integrity to the processes Labor corrupted. To my community: this budget is for you. We are delivering for every resident who fought for a safer community, a place to call home, health services when they need them, respect for their money and a government which works for them. Mr Speaker has reviewed and approved the remainder of my speech on the budget for incorporation.

Mr Speaker, this budget is not only about fixing local issues; it sets a bold direction for the entire state. We are tackling the housing crisis with $592 million for emergency accommodation and homelessness support. We are restoring law and order with the Adult Crime, Adult Time laws. Minister Deb Frecklington has led the charge with practical, tough reforms that put community safety at the centre. Minister Dan Purdie has ensured that our frontline officers are backed, respected and properly resourced. Already, hundreds of new recruits have been sworn in. This Budget reinforces our commitment to the Thin Blue Line.

We are preparing for a world-class Olympics with a state-wide legacy infrastructure plan led by Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie. There will be no more duct-taped stadiums; only real, lasting outcomes for all Queenslanders, not just those in the CBD. We are also repairing our health system with record investment, reduced ramping, more beds and clearer accountability. Minister Tim Nicholls has brought experience and resolve to the task. We are cutting the cost of living through practical measures, not gimmicks. This includes recommissioning coal-fired generators to stabilise electricity supply and relieve price pressure; cutting stamp duty for first home buyers; and putting an end to wasteful CFMEU-driven blowouts on state projects.

This is the difference between a government that delivers for the people and one that delivers only for itself. I want to congratulate the Premier and Treasurer on handing down this responsible, visionary and community-focused first Budget. I am proud to stand on this side of the House and support it, because it is delivering what we said we would deliver… for Pumicestone and for all Queenslanders.