RACQ details Queensland Budget wish list
Funding smart intersections, investing in disaster mitigation programs, and boosting on-road police presence are just some of the 24 recommendations RACQ has made to the State Government ahead of its 2023/24 budget.
The Club is calling on the Government to focus its investment on five key areas including saving lives, smart infrastructure, electric transport transformation, e-mobility and boosting sustainability and liveability.
RACQ’s General Manager Advocacy Joshua Cooney said the Budget must address the challenges facing Queenslanders now and into the future.
“Inflation is impacting our members in so many ways with RACQ’s Hypercare team reporting a 27% increase in mental health and domestic violence cases in just 12 months, and a 34% increase in financial hardship,” Mr Cooney said.
“Stamp duty and GST add almost 20% to a Queenslander’s total home insurance premium and we want to see stamp duty removed to help alleviate financial pressures.
“It’s unfair that members who live in higher risk areas have to pay more on taxes because stamp duty is calculated on the retail premium.”
Mr Cooney said RACQ also wants to see stamp duty removed for all new vehicle purchases to incentivise the take-up of safer and cleaner vehicles.
Increasing on-road police presence and peer-to-peer education campaigns were also part of the Club’s recommendations to improve road safety after a tragic year on Queensland roads.
Disaster resilience is also high on the priority list for RACQ and its members.
“It’s not a matter of if but a matter of when the next natural disaster will hit Queensland and we must ensure our homes and roads are resilient for future events,” Mr Cooney said.
“We want to see the State Government fund and implement disaster resilience plans for high-risk communities to better protect Queenslanders and their livelihoods.”
To future-proof Queensland’s economy, RACQ is calling for the State Government to develop and invest in electric transport and battery innovation hubs.
“These innovation hubs would serve as a collaborative space for universities and industry to transition our vehicle manufacturing industry to electric,” Mr Cooney said.
“We already make trucks, trailers, buses, caravans, trains and defence vehicles here in Queensland; we must transition our manufacturing industry to electric to capitalise on the global push towards sustainable transport.”
The 2023/24 State Budget will be handed down on 13 June 2023.
To read RACQ’s full submission click the button at the top of the article.