Health and maternity services, skills, workforce participation and entrepreneurs investment and support to enhance womens economic security were key outcomes for our members in the FY26 State Budget.
We attended the budget lockup at Parliament this month, to hear firsthand what’s in the budget for rural, regional and remote women and communities.
Our State Budget FY26 priority recommendations, which formed our pre-budget submission, were intended to improve the experience of rural, regional and remote Queensland women and support their capacity to continue their invaluable roles in wider communities, economies, industries and across the state.
Combined with those priorities of our peer organisations, these recommendations can support the dissolution of the urban rural divide in Queensland and support equal access to services for all Queenslanders.
These priorities are:
- Telecommunications and digital infrastructure
- Affordable and reliable energy supply
- Mental health and wellness
- Financial literacy and economic participation
We were pleased to see some commitments to these priority recommendations, especially mental health and wellness and financial literacy and economic participation. There were some commitments to support affordable and reliable energy access across the state, but there is still work to do to bridge the telecommunications and digital infrastructure gap, especially in the wake of 3G.
Affordable and reliable energy:
- Funding of $21.8 million over 2 years from 2024–25 has been allocated for the Queensland Community Housing Energy Upgrades to install energy efficient equipment in eligible properties.
- In delivering its election commitment, the government is providing funding of $26.3 million over 3 years to provide eligible landlords with a rebate of up to $3,500 toward the installation of solar panels on rental properties.
Mental health and wellness:
- $11.4 million (over 4 years from 2024–25) for the new Women’s Wellbeing Line to provide support to women who are geographically or socially isolated from health services.
- $7 million (over 4 years from 2025–26) and $1.8 million (ongoing) for the Queensland Women and Girls’ Health Promotion Program to optimise health equity, health literacy and health and wellbeing of women and girls.
- $166.3 million (over 4 years from 2025–26) for the Women and Girls’ Health Improvement Program to support women and girls to more readily navigate the healthcare system and receive timely and effective care.
- $2 million (over 4 years from 2024–25) to deliver statewide peer support programs for Queensland women, including women experiencing menopause, cancer and endometriosis.
- $36.3 million (over 5 years) for the ongoing provision of high quality women’s reproductive health and sexual health services.
- $928,000 (over 4 years) to provide statewide support services for women with advanced breast cancer, including psychosocial support by telephone, web, online moderation and DVD resources for women, their families and carers.
Financial literacy and economic participation:
- $20 million for the Returning to Work Package to support Queensland women returning to the workforce after having children, caring for family, or illness.
- Further support for the Future Women Jobs Academy program to enable more women to gain access to a suite of resources, workshops and development opportunities to support their return to work.
- $400,000 for the Female Founders Investment Readiness pilot initiative to improve investment literacy and readiness for female entrepreneurs through mentorship and access to resources.
- $540,000 for the Empowering Queensland Women grants program for community group initiatives that enhance the economic security of women and girls across the state.
- $640,000 for the STEM Girl Power Initiative providing female students with access to world-class STEM learning opportunities.
- $500,000 for a program, designed in partnership with industry, to boost and support women in operating and technical roles in the resources sector.
Other commitments:
- $31.3 million to double the capacity of Womensline and Mensline domestic and family violence services and deliver a new North Queensland Hub.
- $112.9 million (over 4 years) and $29.9 million (ongoing) for the legal assistance sector, to provide legal assistance to vulnerable and disadvantaged Queenslanders, including victims of domestic and family violence, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and rural communities.
- $2.5 million for Protea Place Women’s Support Centre in Toowoomba and $1 million for WillowTree37 in Warwick to support vulnerable women on the Darling Downs.
- Reinstating maternity services at Cooktown and Biloela hospitals.
