Officially opening the QCG Queensland Curtis LNG plant in Gladstone, which shifted from its construction phase to production late last year, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said it was time to look forward.

The plant, the world's first liquid natural gas facility to be gas supplied from coal seam wells has sent 16 cargoes to Asia since December.

But while the move to the production phase does mean increased export royalties for the government, albeit royalties which have been revised down from the $500 million former Treasurer Tim Nicholls was expecting in January, thanks to a downturn in commodity prices, it has also seen the project shed jobs.

The Galilee Basin mining project was meant to scoop those workers up.

It hasn't and the state's unemployment rate remains higher than the national average.

Ms Palaszczuk said while Curtis Island remained important, the government needed to find 'the next big thing'.

"We also know that as a government we now must look to the next opportunities, to not only grow this industry, but to diversify the economy, to create the jobs of the future," she said.

"That is why science and innovation is going to be front and centre of my government's next budget, Advance Queensland, looking to see what are the new frontiers for Queensland. Where is that next new industry? Where is the next new exciting project that is going to generate jobs for our great state?"

But Ms Palaszczuk said the success of the LNG industry would be used as an example as it cast the net out.

"We have always known that this industry, even when it was talked about years and years ago, had the huge potential to bring about growth and also bring about dollars for the Queensland Government, in terms of those export royalties," she said.

"This is a fantastic industry, this is an industry that is a signal to the rest of the world that Queensland is a good, safe place to invest in. so my message to the rest of the world, is to invest here in Queensland, look what we can do working together with industry, look at the strong partnerships that governments can form with industry and my government will always be prepared to sit down and explore those opportunities."

Ms Palaszczuk is headed to America next month to investigate renewable energy technologies.

"What we do is we continue to talk up our state," she said.

"We need to develop the skills and training for the future, we need to diversify the state's economy and my treasurer's first budget, my first budget will set the tone for the next three years, where we value the people of this state.

"Our greatest asset...are our people.

"We need to make sure the young people have the opportunities of the future. We need to diversify our economy.

"It's not going to happen overnight but I tell you what I will be working night and day to make sure that we give this great state the opportunity that it deserves."

*The journalist travelled to Curtis Island with QGC