Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has acknowledged that the high cost of air fares is the biggest issue people face living in North West Queensland.
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Speaking during her two-day cabinet visit to Mount Isa on Monday, the premier said "the number one issue" people have raised with her is cost of regional air transport.
"This is something we want to raise with the airlines and raised in the past," Ms Palaszczuk said.
"When I'm talking to families and they are telling me how expensive it is to travel to see relatives or make other commitments it is a big issue.
"This is a great community and people want to live in this community but we also want to make sure travel is affordable."
The premier said she would task Transport Minister Mark Bailey to look at this issue "very closely" and talk to the airlines.
It is not clear what actions the state government can take after the matter was the subject of a recent federal inquiry and Mount Isa is not a subsidised route.
And when Robbie Katter raised the matter in state parliament in August, the government said they were reviewing the inquiry findings while admitting they had no pricing software to monitor price gouging.
Earlier in the day the premier, deputy premier and transport minister were keen to talk up the $80 million investment over four years in the railway line.
The incentive scheme will make rail freight more competitive against road transport and rail incentive payments will be paid to eligible participants on a quarterly basis. The scheme will be administered by Transport and Main Roads, with the first quarterly payment commencing at the end of this year, backdated from 1 July 2019.
Transport Minister Mark Bailey said the scheme would mean more jobs for North West Queensland.
When asked about by the North West Star about high unemployment in Outback Queensland (13% - double the state average), Deputy Premier Jackie Trad said their number one priority was jobs for Queenslanders.
"One of the reasons why the unemployment rate is so high is we've seen a growth in participation rate," Ms Trad said.
"Here in Outback Queensland the participation rate has risen to 70%, this is happening because we've kept TAFE in public hands, we're providing the training and skills young people need and we are determined to get jobs for Queenslanders."
On crime, when the Premier was asked whether she supported Robbie Katter's call for relocation sentencing for young offenders, she was equivocal.
"We're happy to look at a whole range of measures,but the number one key is about breaking the cycle of crime and the more training and skills we give people, the less likely they are to be involved with crime," she said.
During the afternoon the Premier discussed related issues with Robbie Katter and stakeholders about taking at risk young offenders and putting them on country such as in the Mona Horsemanship Program.
Today (Tuesday) the visit continues with a North West Queensland Minerals Province summit.
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Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
