Speaking at a Committee for Economic Development of Australia lunch, Communities Minister Shannon Fentiman said the communities sector, combined with investing in human capital, had the ability to boost revenue and grow the economy, but had been largely ignored as a growth industry by successive governments.

Until, she said, now.

"A decline in manufacturing, cyclical downturns and a workforce reliant on casual employment poses a great challenge to Queensland's economic future, as well as the promise of a fairer and more equal society," she said.

"We only have to look at events from the past month – Brexit and the resurgence of Pauline Hanson's One Nation here in Queensland – the by-product of people's sense of disenchantment and a belief that they are being left behind.

"...This is why we need to invest in the community service sector."

The sector employs 45,000 people in Queensland currently and contributes around $3.5 billion each year to the economy.

In less than 10 years, that figure is set to double, projected to inject at least $6.3 billion into the state's economy by 2025, with an additional 30,000 new jobs created.

But Ms Fentiman said investing in the communities sector had flow on effects which could save the Queensland - and Australian - economy billions, but had yet to be fully utilised.

"Social disadvantage, put bluntly, is economically unviable," she said.

"It leads to lower productivity and economic growth and requires large amounts of taxpayers' money to fund services and programs to overcome it.

"The economic impact of domestic and family violence, for example, costs the Queensland economy $3.2 billion each year.

"Child abuse and neglect costs us more than $800 million each year.

"In Australia, the gap between the rich and poor is widening.

"According to the ACOSS 'Inequality in Australia' report, that gap is now above the OECD average.

"At no other point in living memory have we seen this degree of inequality in our own backyard."

That widening gap, Ms Fentiman said, had been found to lead to economic instability, which impacted negatively on growth.

But investing in human capital brought positive returns to the economy as a while.

"Investing in the community services industry is a safe bet that promises exponential returns over many years to come," she said.

"The projected employment growth for the community services industry well surpasses growth in other sectors like mining, manufacturing, retail and construction.

"The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) which was rolled-out in Queensland this month, will not only double the number of people able to access support and services, it will create nearly 20,000 new jobs by 2019.

"It is projected to inject $4 billion per year into the economy.

"This seismic shift in the way services are delivered will mean people with a disability are positioned to become a diverse and growing consumer group.

"The world we live in will be a very different place by 2025."

Ms Fentiman said the business community and government, at all levels, had a unique opportunity to contribute to the changing community - and the new technologies and delivery services, which would shape it into the future.

"To maximise our potential for growth, the industry must deliver sophisticated and tailored solutions that will be ready to respond to digital disruption and evolving technology and meet the demands of Queenslanders into the future," she said.

"We must continue to invest in our community services, and targeted policies where the standard of living can grow for all Queenslanders – not just the lucky few."