Queensland budget 2023: coal royalty boom funds $550 energy rebate, free kindergarten and a record surplus

State’s treasurer Cameron Dick says $10bn revenue windfall will help pay for the nation’s most generous energy relief scheme

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The Queensland government’s controversial decision to increase royalties on record-high coal prices has contributed to an unexpected $10bn revenue windfall and a record surplus, allowing the state to fund cost-of-living relief, including free kindergarten classes and $550 electricity rebates for all households.

The treasurer, Cameron Dick, on Tuesday handed down Queensland’s 2023-24 budget, which offered a rare opportunity for a government to pitch itself to economic conservatives – via a record surplus and debt reduction – while at the same time spending big on households struggling with inflationary pressures.

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