While Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt honoured the government's election commitment not to increase royalties in yesterday’s state budget, he also needs to action on the cost and regulatory reforms outlined in a comprehensive QRC submission to the Palaszczuk Government in March 2016, according to Roche.

“Of concern is that the budget seems to ignore the importance of encouragement for exploration and discovery of new minerals and energy deposits,” he said.

“For the first time in at least four governments, the budget contains no specific program funding for pre-competitive geo-science programs through the Geological Survey of Queensland (GSQ). With exploration in Queensland languishing, this decision to slash funding to GSQ by half is hard to fathom.”

In the absence of bipartisan support for recycling existing government assets to fund new infrastructure and reduce debt, the strategy to access a portion of surplus public sector superannuation funds is sensible, Roche said.

“QRC particularly welcomes the targeting of some of these funds to regional infrastructure and jobs initiatives,” he said.

“We acknowledge that the Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Dr Anthony Lynham, has been active within government promoting the need for an overhaul of the Land Court, but he needs the full backing of the premier and her cabinet to make Land Court reform a top priority. In the meantime we welcome the additional resources for the Land Court in this budget.”