Far North Queensland
The 2024–25 Queensland Budget supports Queenslanders. In Far North Queensland it provides:
$1,300 electricity bill support
for Queensland households – an upfront $1,000 Cost of Living Rebate from the Queensland Government and a $300 rebate paid in quarterly instalments from the Australian Government.
$1.8B for health
for the Torres and Cape and Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Services.
$96M for education
to maintain, improve and upgrade schools in Far North Queensland.
$1.8B for the Big Build
for productivity-enhancing infrastructure and capital works, estimated to support 4,900 jobs in Far North Queensland.
Delivering for Far North Queensland
Free Kindy
Up to 3,397 children eligible for free kindy in Far North Queensland, for 15 hours per week, 40 weeks per year.
(January 2024 to May 2024)
Fee-Free TAFE
5,290 fee-free TAFE courses commenced by people in Far North Queensland wanting to train, retrain or upskill in priority industries.
(January 2023 to March 2024)
Building our Regions
$77.0 million allocated to projects for critical infrastructure in Far North Queensland, supporting an estimated 500 jobs. This has leveraged further financial co-contributions statewide of more than $556 million from local governments, the Australian Government, and other organisations, with a total capital expenditure value of more than $974 million.
(March 2015 to September 2025)
First Home Owner Grant
2,626 grants worth $43.9 million paid to home buyers to help them buy their first home in Far North Queensland.
(July 2016 to April 2024)
Delivering better services for Far North Queensland
Growth from March 2015 to March 2024
680 extra nurses up 31%
297 extra doctors up 62.2%
59 extra ambulance officers up 21.5%
18 extra firefighters up 12.2%
Map
Explore Far North Queensland expenditure:
Record investment to boost health services for Cairns
The Queensland Government is investing a record $474.8 million in Cairns’ health infrastructure across five key projects. These works will deliver more than 100 extra hospital beds and support more than 1,220 construction jobs – helping to meet future demand for health services in Far North Queensland while improving emergency care.
The Cairns Hospital expansion project, which is expected to finish in 2026, will provide an additional 96 beds across two sites, including 64 beds at the Cairns Hospital and 32 beds in a new purpose-built surgical centre adjacent to James Cook University’s Cairns Tropical Enterprise Centre. Together they will form part of the Far North Queensland Health Innovation Precinct.
The expansion also involves a $30 million refurbishment of the Cairns Hospital emergency department which will include a dedicated X-ray suite, refurbished resuscitation bays, additional acute care rooms, and a family room.
Far North Queensland residents will also benefit from projects including the Cairns Mental Health Unit, the new Cow Bay Primary Health Centre, and a youth residential rehabilitation and treatment service. These local projects are part of the Queensland Government’s Health Big Build, investing more than $14 billion delivering new and upgraded facilities right across the state.
QUEENSLAND BUDGET 2024–25 AT A GLANCE
Total concessions including cost-of-living relief measures available in 2024–25
$11.2B
Investment in school and early education facilities
$1.3B
Total health funding in 2024–25
$28.9B
Total Big Build over 4 years
$107.3B
Community Safety Plan for Queensland
$1.3B
Jobs supported by the Big Build program in 2024–25
72,000
Putting Queensland Kids First Plan
$502M
Percentage of Big Build spend outside of greater Brisbane in 2024–25
68.5%
Homes for Queenslanders
$3.1B
Total capital investment to support the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan over 4 years
$26B