A Letter To The Editor On The State Budget

Contributed by G. Jones

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“The 2026-27 Queensland Budget highlights a significant disparity between Mackay and other major regional centres.

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While Mackay–Isaac–Whitsunday receives approximately $742 million in capital investment, this is substantially lower than Townsville ($1.4 billion), Cairns ($1.1 billion) and Central Queensland ($2.3 billion).

The budget contains strong investment in roads, health and community infrastructure across Mackay; however, unlike competing regional centres, Mackay has not secured a major transformational project capable of driving long-term economic growth and regional competitiveness.

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Given Mackay's contribution to Queensland's economy through resources, agriculture, tourism and exports, there is a compelling case for future State and Federal investment in catalytic projects to ensure Mackay receives its fair share of Queensland's infrastructure investment.

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The budget demonstrates a clear hierarchy of regional investment:

• Central Queensland – $2.344 billion

• Townsville – $1.411 billion

• Cairns – $1.123 billion

• Mackay–Isaac–Whitsunday – $742 million

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While Mackay receives ongoing investment, it does not currently have a single transformational project equivalent to:

• CopperString in Townsville
• Rockhampton Ring Road
• Cairns Marine Precinct
• Gladstone energy infrastructure

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As a result, Mackay's total allocation is:

• approximately 47% lower than Townsville
• approximately 34% lower than Cairns
• approximately 68% lower than Central Queensland

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Based on the regional capital allocation table in the 2026-27 Queensland Budget, the four major northern and central regional centres compare as follows:

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Region – 2026-27 Capital Investment

• Central Queensland (Rockhampton/Gladstone/Fitzroy) - $2.344 billion

• Townsville - $1.411 billion

• Cairns - $1.123 billion

• Mackay–Isaac–Whitsunday - $742 million

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2025/2026 was just as bad

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Region – 2025–26 Capital Investment

• Central Queensland – Statistical area of 308 - $7.965 billion Capital Investment  

• Townsville – Statistical area of 318 - $5.503 billion Capital Investment  

• Cairns (Far North) – Statistical area of 306 - $4.619 billion Capital Investment  

• Mackay – Statistical area of 312 – $2.173 billion Captital Investment  

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Central Queensland receives 3.7 times the Mackay allocation.

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• Townsville receives 2.5 times the Mackay allocation.
• Cairns receives 2.1 times the Mackay allocation.
• Mackay is the lowest funded of the four major regional centres despite being one of Queensland's strongest economic contributors.

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In simple terms, for every $1 invested in Mackay, the Budget allocates approximately:

• $3.66 to Central Queensland
• $2.53 to Townsville
• $2.13 to Cairns”

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