“It’s a good opportunity to get to outback Queensland, I’m representing Andrew Powell the shadow minister for local government who would be here but he’s grilling the government at Estimates,” Mr Bleijie said.

“It’s important we are here, outback Queensland is doing it tough in my portfolio of employment. Youth unemployment is up to 36 percent in outback Queensland.”

Mr Bleijie spoke to over 100 delegates from councils north of Latitude 21 at the NQLGA conference about the opposition’s job package.

“Our package delivers 20,000 jobs over four years,” he said.

“It applies right around Queensland boosting apprenticeships by 10,000, getting tools to the tradies with a $500 voucher system.

“It’s a $4000 job starter incentive for local businesses to take on unskilled workers or people that may not want to go to university or TAFE.”

Mr Bleijie said the other message he wanted to take to delegates at the conference was the announcement of the LNP’s re-establishment of the Royalties to the Region program if returned to government at the next state election.

“It was an important $400 million program in our term of government, the new Labor government canned the project and it’s important we show our local government association, particularly our local mayors that this project will be back on the agenda under an LNP government,” he said.

“It’s important for the local regions, it’s important for the local councils putting their wish list of things that need happening.”

Mr Bleijie said Labor’s alternative program of Building Our Regions cut the funding in half.

“There was only $70 million in one round, so that’s only half the money going into the regions,” he said.

“We want to make sure the outback gets the money where it belongs.

“The more money we can get out to the regions the better.”