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Report: Queensland Annual Regions Summit 2026

 

Queensland’s inaugural Annual Regions Summit brought together senior leaders from government, industry, investment and local government to examine the opportunities and challenges shaping regional Queensland through to 2060.

The Summit opened with QFI President Kate Farrar outlining findings from QFI’s Annual Leaders Survey, before a fireside discussion with Reserve Bank of Australia Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser and a panel examining regional investment, diversification, workforce and economic resilience.

A central proposition framed the discussion: Queensland operates as one economy. Around half the state’s population lives outside Greater Brisbane, while regional Queensland accounts for more than 99% of its landmass and more than 90% of its goods exports. QFI’s view is that the prosperity of the regions and southeast Queensland is therefore deeply interconnected.

Across the Summit, several themes emerged strongly. Queensland’s growth remains a significant economic advantage, but is placing increasing pressure on housing, infrastructure, services and workforce capacity. Productivity emerged repeatedly as a central economic challenge, while speakers highlighted significant opportunities to build more sophisticated regional industries around Queensland’s established strengths in resources, agriculture, energy and engineering.

The discussion also reinforced the importance of investment settings that are competitive and workable, local capability and skills development, stronger regional supply chains, and collaboration between governments, industry, investors and communities.

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FIRESIDE CHAT:

Andrew Haus SQ Kate Farrar SQ  

KEYNOTE: ANDREW HAUSER
Deputy Governor
Reserve Bank of Australia

KATE FARRAR
Chief Executive Officer
Brighter Super

 

PANELLISTS:

Dan Clark SQ-1 Adam Gilmour SQ

Brian Restall SQ

DAN CLARK
Chief Executive Officer
Australia Pacific LNG

ADAM GILMOUR
Chief Executive Officer
and Founder
Gilmour Space Technologies

BRIAN RESTALL
Chief Executive Officer
Quinbrook
Infrastructure Partners

Alison SQ Greg Williamson sq

Spencer Keirstyn

ALISON SMITH
Chief Executive Officer
Local Government
Association of Queensland

CR GREG WILLIAMSON
Mayor
Mackay Regional
Council

MODERATOR: KEIRSTYN SPENCER
Partner National
Lead Local Government
KPMG

 
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