Champion Redlands Coast State Budget Breakfast
Questions by Champion Redlands Coast CEO Cindy Corrie.
Cindy Corrie:
One of the key messages from your address was just how much external factors influence the State Budget and how much they can affect Queensland’s aspirations.
But before we get to that, let’s go back to your cricket days.
A little birdie secretly gave me your cricket statistics. You played for Redlands between 1996 and 2000.
Did that young David Janetzki ever imagine he’d one day become Queensland Treasurer?
David Janetzki:
Never.
Coming from western Queensland, it was a big deal for me. I grew up about an hour west of Toowoomba, went to boarding school there and then came to Brisbane for university.
The only reason I knew about Redlands was because someone I played cricket with played here.
Redlands became one of my first families after leaving home. Coming from the country, Brisbane was a huge city for me.
I still love catching up with the guys I played cricket with.
I actually came out here a little early this morning and drove past the cricket grounds. I remember scoring 99 in a second-grade grand final one day. The grandstand is named after Don Seccombe and I still remember everyone talking about the bloke who got 99.
Back then Redlands was importing first-grade cricketers because there weren’t many coming through locally.
Now you’ve got players like Marnus Labuschagne, Sam Heazlett, Jimmy Peirson and others coming through this region. It’s fantastic to see what Redlands cricket has become.
Cindy Corrie:
I’ll make a confession – I don’t really like cricket.
I tried. I even went to day one of the Test against India and the atmosphere was incredible.
But let’s move on.
Very rarely do we see prices actually come down.
Wholesale electricity prices have fallen. Can Queensland households be confident they’ll actually see those savings flow through?
David Janetzki:
One of the things we wanted to do in this budget was take a different approach to cost-of-living relief.
Previously, many of those measures were effectively election commitments.
We wanted permanent support that families can actually rely on.
That’s why we’ve made the Back to School Boost permanent at $150, we’ve kept 50-cent fares, increased electricity rebates for vulnerable households to $399, which supports about 700,000 Queensland households, and continued Play On! vouchers.
Then there’s the structural side.
As Energy Minister, I made it clear we would keep Queensland’s coal-fired power stations operating for their technical life while investing in the future.
We’ve invested in coal, gas and pumped hydro generation.
As a result, Queensland has had its most reliable year for coal generation and the highest generation capacity in five years.
That has driven lower wholesale electricity prices.
The Australian Energy Regulator’s Default Market Offer reflects that, with power prices expected to fall by around seven per cent for households and up to 14 per cent for many businesses.
In regional Queensland, where Ergon is government-owned, those savings will flow through.
In south-east Queensland we rely on retailers, and I’ve made it very clear that I expect them to pass those savings on.
If they don’t, I’ll be naming and shaming them.
I don’t want retailers hiding behind complicated electricity bills to avoid passing on lower wholesale prices.
Cindy Corrie:
Home ownership is becoming increasingly difficult, particularly for younger Queenslanders.
Your first budget included several initiatives for first-home buyers.
Can you talk about what’s included this year, and also about social and community housing?
David Janetzki:
Let’s start with social and community housing.
We’ve committed a record $5.7 billion to continue delivering our target of 53,500 additional social and community homes by 2044.
Here in Redlands there are already 76 homes under construction.
That investment continues projects already underway across Queensland.
On home ownership, the biggest issue remains supply.
We need more land and more homes.
That’s why we’ve doubled the Residential Activation Fund to $1 billion.
That program is expected to unlock around 98,000 additional housing lots across Queensland.
On the demand side we’ve abolished stamp duty for eligible first-home buyers because we want fewer taxes, not more.
We’ve also introduced the Boost to Buy shared equity scheme.
It’s relatively small, with around 2,000 places, but we’ve already seen extraordinary interest.
We’ve had around 16,000 expressions of interest.
Interestingly, they’re not just coming from first-home buyers.
Parents and grandparents are also making enquiries because housing affordability has become a generational challenge.
People often say Australia’s fifth-largest lender is the Bank of Mum and Dad.
If you don’t have that support, it’s becoming much harder to enter the housing market.
So we need to keep increasing supply while helping people bridge that deposit gap.
Cindy Corrie:
Advocacy is something Champion Redlands Coast is very focused on.
Last year our priorities included health and education.
This year there’s a stronger emphasis on infrastructure.
How do you balance Queensland’s priorities when you’re competing nationally for funding?
David Janetzki:
The Premier and Prime Minister have a constructive relationship and they speak regularly.
But we’ll always put Queensland first.
We won’t stop highlighting the inequities in the way Queensland is treated.
That includes issues like GST distribution, aged care, disaster recovery funding and the East Coast gas market.
Queensland produces around 90 per cent of Australia’s gas.
Within a decade that will rise to around 96 per cent.
When people in Canberra talk about the East Coast gas market, they’re really talking about Queensland gas.
We’ll continue fighting to ensure Queensland receives appropriate recognition for the contribution we make to the national economy.
Cindy Corrie:
Let’s talk specifically about Redlands.
You said in your address it’s important we’re clear about what we want and that everyone works together.
The Olympics present a major opportunity.
What advice would you give Redlands about securing its share of future investment?
David Janetzki:
Unity of purpose.
If Redlands can be as unified as possible in its priorities, it makes life much easier for your local MPs.
Whether it’s the Whitewater Centre, the hospital expansion or major road projects, having one clear voice helps enormously.
It’s always a question of priorities, but governments respond best when regions speak with one voice.
Champion Redlands Coast is doing a good job bringing people together.
I also think it’s important people look beyond the four weeks of competition in 2032.
The real opportunity is the legacy.
How do you position Redlands for the decades after the Games?
That’s the conversation we should be having.
You’re close enough to Brisbane to benefit from Olympic investment, but you’re also unique in your own right.
There are significant opportunities here if the region continues advocating together.
Cindy Corrie:
Treasurer, thank you very much for your time this morning. We really appreciate you joining us.
