Queensland state government - first 12 months
David Crisafulli's LNP government was successful at the Queensland State election held on 26 October 2024. This is a summary of their performance in their first 12 months.
[Hat tip to Shiannon Corcoran whose summary tweet inspired this article.]
Cost of Living
Made 50c public transport fares permanent
The previous government introduced a trial 50c public transport fare in August 2024. Both parties made election promises to make it permanent and the LNP government did so after they won power.
See Queensland government locks in 50-cent public transport fares permanently
Compared to 2023, use of ferries increased 42.8%, light rail by 27.5% and overall public transport use is up by 18.3% because of the new fares. Regular commuters on the Gold Coast to Brisbane train route could have saved over $3,500.
See Queensland's 50c public transport fares hit six-month mark, with patronage up nearly 20pc
Energy
Scrapped renewable targets
The Queensland Energy Roadmap 2025 retains a commitment to Net Zero by 2050, but the path to achieve this is not clear, given that many of the renewable energy projects planned have been axed and the interim targets for renewables of 50% by 2030, 70% by 2032 and 80% by 2035 have also been repealed.
As part of the Roadmap, the government is using taxpayer money to prop up ageing coal-fired power plants, extending them past their use-by date and passing on the costs to consumers.
Also within the Roadmap, they're removing public ownership guarantees for energy generation, transmission and storage assets to encourage private investment. As history shows, this actually leads to reduced competition and increased energy prices.
Cancelled energy rebates
In June 2025, after promising cost of living relief before the election, the Qld government cut the energy rebate (introduced by the previous government).
See Opposition Leader Accuses David Crisafulli Of Failing To Deliver Promised Energy Rebates
Solar rebates for rental properties
Honouring a pre-election promise, the Queensland government announced on 12 Dec 2025 that landords would be able to claim a rebate for providing rooftop solar on their rental properties.
See Landlords eligible for $3,500 rebates for putting rooftop solar on rentals under Queensland scheme
Housing
Established the Housing Ministerial Taskforce to unlock land for housing
The Queensland government established a Housing Ministerial Taskforce aims to boost housing supply by unlocking church and charity land and using the $2 billion Residential Activation Fund to fast-track infrastructure for new developments.
See: Church and charity land unlocked for more housing
Boost to Buy
The government introduced an equity contribution scheme helping first home buyers.
See Boost to Buy home ownership scheme
Applications are due to open "later in 2025". One issue with such schemes is they tend to drive up prices in the cheaper end of the market.
Cancelled affordable housing projects
The Crisafulli government has cancelled affordable housing projects in Tewantin and Birtinya (Sunshine Coast), Gabba and Hamilton (Brisbane) and Bundaberg East.
See Sunshine Coast residents forced out as approval revoked for affordable housing
The government promised to build 2,000 social and affordable homes annually, but there are currently 56,000 people on the queue for public housing, with the average wait time being 2.5 years. The government claims they've delivered over 1,700 affordable homes in their first year.
See Families, single women joining Queensland's record high social housing waitlist
Even if the government meets its target of 2000 affordable homes, they will not cover the needs of the homeless, or first home buyers.
Meanwhile, Moreton Bay council appears to be spending more on "disappearing" its homeless population than actually humanely addressing the issue.
See: City of Moreton Bay spends $1.4 million cracking down on homeless camps
Evicting public housing tenants for "serious behaviour"
Public housing tenants face eviction for "serious behaviour, including deliberate and persistent damage and aggressive language to others". Once out of housing, these tenants cannot apply for housing for 2 years.
See Queensland public housing tenants to be evicted after three warnings for serious behaviour in a year
Critics have pointed out that while this would reduce numbers on the wait list. it would actually add to rising homelessness caused by these actions, with little recourse. Those evicted would have very few choices and would very likely end up on the street.
Health
Contributed to record ambulance ramping
The government blames "protected industrial action by nurses" and flu season for the worst ambulance ramping on record.
See Qld ambulance ramping reaches worst level
Scrapped pill testing
Despite a report finding pill-testing sites offer valuable harm reduction, the LNP government closed two fixed-site pill testing facilities and banned all pill testing in the state.
See Queensland Government bans pill testing
Reinstated the LNP ban on access to gender-affirming medical care
In January 2025, the Queensland Government suspended access to care and gender-affirming treatment for new adolescent patients at public health facilities in Queensland, despite evidence showing its strong benefits.
See: Queensland gender-affirming care suspension – what families need to know
A successful Supreme Court challenge in October 2025 was immediately ignored by the Queensland government which issued a directive to resume the freeze on puberty blockers.
See: Supreme Court in Brisbane overturns controversial freeze on puberty blockers for adolescents
Supports the use of public-private partnerships for hospital projects
This is the next step to public healthcare privatisation.
See: Private Sector Partnerships
Reduced funding to nurse-led clinics
The role of nurse-led clinics is to provide free primary care for minor ailments, reducing the strain on Emergency departments. The funding cuts, announced on 22 Feb 2025, will reduce hours in clinics like those in Gladstone, Mt Gravatt and the Brisbane CBD.
See Premier Crisafulli promised Queenslanders there would be no health cuts
Paused hospital builds
The Sangster Review found the previous government's hospital plans were rushed, and underfunded, so paused work on Redcliffe, Coomera, Bundaberg, Mackay, and Prince Charles hospitals, with a "hospital rescue plan" to salvage the projects in motion, but is yet to work out the final cost or the timeline for delivery.
See How Labor’s broken health promise will impact your nearest hospital [$]
Transport
Secured 80-20 funding deal for the Bruce Highway
The government re-established the Bruce Highway Advisory Council and reinstated an 80:20 funding deal with the Federal government to upgrade the highway.
See: Crisafulli Government paving the way for a better Bruce Highway
Cancelled heavy rail to Maroochydore and light rail on the Gold Coast.
In March 2025, the LNP government broke an election promise to scrap the final stage of the Sunshine Coast rail line to Maroochydore.
See: Queensland government breaks election promise of rail line to Maroochydore
The decision to discontinue the light rail extension from Burleigh Heads to the Gold Coast airport was announced in September 2025.
See: Queensland Government axes Gold Coast Light Rail extension
Cancelled rego rebates
Despite promises to provide cost of living relief, in September 2025, the LNP government ended the 20% vehicle registration rebate that was initiated a year before by the previous government.
See Appendix A: Concessions Statement (PDF)
Democracy
Introduced regional Community Cabinets
Community Cabinets are an opportunity for people in regional Queensland to talk directly with the Premier and minitsters in community forums before the main cabinet meeting. Such Cabinets have been held in Mackay, Emerald and Cairns during 2025.
Reformed the 2025-26 Budget Estimates process
The aim of the reforms was to enhance transparency and accountability, and this is to be achieved by devoting more time to the process and appointing the Speaker as the Chair. The stated focus is to be on budget repair in health, infrastructure and environment.
See 2025-26 Budget Estimates Appropriation Bill 2025
Social
Abandoned support for Treaty with First Nations people
One of the first acts of the new LNP state government in November 2024 was to disband the Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry, part of Queensland's Path to Treaty process which also involved a First Nations Treaty Institute. This is despite Crisafulli saying before the election that he would not roll back the indigenous treaty legislation, but then agreeing to do so after the failed Voice referendum..
See Ending QLD Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry is harmful and divisive
Implemented "adult crime, adult time" laws for youth offenders
In a decision seen by many as more of a vote winner and infringing the human rights of children, rather than constructive policy, the government implemented adult sentences for youth crimes, which apply to children as young as ten years of age.
See Explainer: Making Queensland Safer Act 2024
It's expected it will "exacerbate disproportionate rates of imprisonment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and children with disabilities", and "it ignores evidence that non-custodial, community-based approaches lead to better outcomes for children and the community", according to the above article.
Implemented crime reduction measures
The government is increasing police funding, to cater for an increase in the size of the force and greater visibility. It's also funding technolgies to prevent and solve crime.
On the positive side, it's funding community-led programs for at-risk youth, attempting to improve relations with the police through school programmes and supporting Police Citizens Youth Clubs. There are also improvements to lighting and surveilance in public spaces and businesses.
See Making Queensland Safer and Crime and prevention resources and
Voted down amendments that would immediately protect victims of sexual offences
In September 2025, the LNP government voted down amendments that would have immediately protected victims of sexual offences and prevented offenders from hiding behind ‘good character’ references.
See The LNP just voted down our amendments
Removed Olympic Organising Committee diversity targets
In June 2025, the Queensland LNP government repealed diversity quotas (at least 50% women and at least one Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person) on the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games.
See Queensland to repeal diversity quotas for Brisbane Olympics board
Broke election promise regarding the new Olympic stadium
Despite multiple times promising not to support building a new stadium for the 2032 Olympics, Premier Crisafulli announced it would go ahead anyway.
See Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has broken a promise about new stadiums, but will anyone care?
Education
15 new schools and a TAFE Centre of Excellence
The government committed $1 billion for 15 new schools and a TAFE Centre of Excellence.
See Budget Measures 2025-26 Capital Measures [PDF]
Workplace relations
Inadequate pay and working conditions for QLD teachers and nurses
Suspended Best Practice Industry Conditions (BPIC)
The Best Practice Industry Conditions (BPIC) policy laid out pay and conditions for construction union workers on all major state projects. This was suspended in the first month of the Crisafulli government.
Environment
Withdrawn funding from the Environmental Defenders Office
Despite election commitments to the contrary, the government will not renew funding of $500,000 per year to the Environmental Defenders Office, which provides crucial legal advice for farmers, First Nations people and regional Queenslanders on their environmental rights.
See: Crisafulli government reneges on pre-election funding pledge by axing environmental legal aid
Don't pass the pub test
Appointed their close contacts to executive jobs and boards
While both sides of politics stand accused of appointing close associates to boards, the current Queensland government has handed at least 34 taxpayer-funded executive jobs and board positions to LNP donors, former politicians, candidates, colleagues and party operatives since the party came to power.
See LNP government criticised over new 'jobs for mates' appointment of party powerbroker
Appointed former chair of Advance to school curriculum board
Advance is a right wing lobby group, supported by a wealthy group of business people and the Australian Jewish Association's Dr David Adler. Advance has been engaged in an extended campaign against the 2050 net zero emissions targets, and recently backed hardline anti-immigration campaigns.
The LNP government has replaced two union-linked board members from Queensland’s curriculum body and will replace them with conservative figures, including James Power, the founding chair of the right wing lobby group Advance. Power was personally advocating against Brisbane’s Tattersall’s Club admitting women as members.
Appointed LNP-connected John Sosso to the Queensland Redistribution Commission
The role of the Redistribution Commission is to ensure that electorates remain approximately equal in size. The process is currently almost complete and the Commission is expected to publish the new boundaries in early 2026.
John Sosso was appointed on the 3-person Commission as the "non-judicial" member, along with a judge and the Electoral Commissioner. Sosso has long-term links to the LNP and is regarded by many, including Tony Fitzgerald, as being potentially biased in the government's favour, and that the appointment could lead Queensland "back to the 'bad old days' of biased electoral boundaries".
See: MOTION Queensland Redistribution Commisson, Appointment
Raised over $250,000 in one day at LNP fundraising event
In August 2025, Crisafulli and his ministers charged $8,800 for a 15-minute meeting with donors, netting the Party over $250,000 in one day.
See $8,800: the price for 15 minutes with a state government minister
Summary
While the Crisafulli government has achieved several positive reforms in the infrastructure space, there are some very concerning developments regarding the reduction of funding for meaningful environmental action, and inadequate planning for social and affordable housing. Some of the decisions in the social affairs space will set Queensland back decades in terms of progress.
Final note
There is a dangerous consolidation of the media in Australia, especially in Queensland. While compiling this list, I was struck by how few of the references that came up were from the main stream media. The exception is ABC News, which has covered quite a few of these stories, and occasionally there are Channel 7 or Channel 9 video clips on Facebook. But a lot of the time, the information is coming from government media releases, and there's a real danger when government information is not being adequately scrutinised. The journalism "profession" has forgotten the main aim of the Fourth Estate, which is to shine a light on those in power, and hold them accountable. After News Corp acquired APN's regional newspapers, it has a virtual monopoly over print across Queensland. With weaker cross-media ownership rules, media is concentrated in the hands of a small, conservative base of News Corp, Nine, Severn West and Southern Cross Austereo.
Posted by Murray. Last modified: 16 Dec 2025.