The ongoing war on waste and environmental issues are key pillars in the Queensland Government’s 2022-23 State Budget.
Announced on Tuesday, the budget includes $291 million for the first tranche of the 10-year $1.1 billion Recycling and Jobs Fund, which aims to support the increase of household recycling and help build new resource recovery infrastructure.
Councils will receive part of $672 million, allocated to ensure households bear no direct cost from the state’s under-review waste levy.
Meaghan Scanlon, Environment Minister, said Queenslanders had generated more than nine million tonnes of waste in the past year.
“While we’ve made great strides in bringing down how much waste we produce, Queenslanders are keen to do more and for our state to become a leader in the fast-emerging circular economy,” she said.
“That’s why we’re investing more than a quarter-of-a-billion dollars to supercharge the rollout of recycling infrastructure, and to help regions develop long-term plans to tackle waste.”
Scanlon said the budget would also include $32 million towards community-focused emission reduction projects to complement the existing $2 billion Queensland Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Jobs Fund.
“That funding will also help drive better science and modelling so we can seize the opportunities in Queensland to accelerate emissions reduction and more jobs in industries,” she said.
Further funding for the environment includes $262.5 million to expand the state’s network of national parks and protected areas, as well as a $2 billion investment in large-scale energy storage, renewable energy projects and generation and transmission investment.
Cameron Dick, Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment, said the budget backed Queensland’s position as an energy powerhouse, and that investment in energy storage was key to unlocking a renewable future.
“Renewables create jobs, lower power prices and help our state reduce emissions,” he said.
The budget also includes close to $1.7 billion for the Queensland Reconstruction Authority to aid recovery from the natural disasters of 2022, as well as those impacting the state since 2019.
For more information, visit: https://budget.qld.gov.au
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