Queensland treasurer Cameron Dick handed down his third budget on Tuesday and it seemed from this distance to have a very strong focus on Labor's voter base in the South East.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Dick promised "new schools, improved roads and more employment opportunities" but significantly tied them to "our golden decade on track towards the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games."
It remains to be seen how much of a golden decade areas outside of South East Queensland will get and I have my doubts we are up for a podium finish.
In my budget take I described it as "North West Queensland mostly misses out on budget splash".
"Although the North West continues to drive the Queensland economy, it is not reflected in spending with most of the priorities including new hospitals, new roads and even a new "Queensland Regional Aeromedical Base" based in Brisbane," I wrote.
KAP leader and Traeger MP Robbie Katter had a bob each way saying his electorate had benefited from the budget but it had failed the vision needed to advance North and regional Queensland.
Mr Katter hailed "bread and butter-type" funding wins for the north west including $60m on North West roads, a $2m police station for Burketown, $5.8m for the Mount Isa transitional hub, roads funding and more than $9 million for schools across Traeger.
But he said there was no reprieve for the rural health crisis encompassing infrastructure deficits and staffing shortages and it also failed to offer critical support to stem what he called Queensland's "crime scourge" or provide financial vigour to enhance Queensland's energy production.
The government has committed to an increase of $1.16 billion spending in health to help meet growing demands on the system with a commitment to hire an additional 9450 health workers over the four-year term of government.
However there will be just $495 million spent on on health for the North West, Central West and South West Hospital and Health Services, the entire state west of what is increasingly appropriately called the "Divide".