Queensland’s regions are an essential part of the state’s economic story.
That was the message running through the Queensland Futures Institute’s inaugural Regions Summit, where senior leaders from industry, government and local government met to explore what regional Queensland needs to thrive through to 2060.
The summit opened with a wide-ranging fireside conversation between QFI President and Brighter Super CEO Kate Farrar and Reserve Bank of Australia Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser. They discussed the national economic perspective on inflation, household spending, employment and global risks, while emphasising the importance of getting beyond the spreadsheets and understanding what is happening in regional economies firsthand.
For Queensland, this means strong population growth and the dynamism of both established and emerging industries, alongside the pressures this creates for housing, infrastructure, public services and workforce availability.
The conversation also considered Queensland’s substantial investment pipeline and the economic effects that come with it.
As Mr Hauser explained, major infrastructure investment can create short-term pressure on demand and local resources before delivering longer-term gains in productivity and economic capacity. That balance will become increasingly important as Queensland moves through a period of major investment in energy, resources and infrastructure, alongside preparations for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
A panel discussion moderated by Keirstyn Spencer, National Lead – Local Government, KPMG, brought those questions down to the regional level.
Australia Pacific LNG CEO Dan Clark, Gilmour Space Technologies CEO and Founder Adam Gilmour, Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners CEO Brian Restall, Local Government Association of Queensland CEO Alison Smith and Mackay Regional Council Mayor Greg Williamson examined how regions can build on established strengths while developing new industries, attracting investment and creating the conditions for people to live and work locally.
The perspectives varied, but there was a clear connection between them. Panellists highlighted the:
scale of opportunity across Queensland’s resources, energy and industrial sectors
importance of policy certainty and collaboration to unlock investment
potential of advanced technology and entrepreneurship
challenge of attracting specialised talent
regional efforts to diversify beyond traditional economic bases
role of local government in creating liveable communities
financial pressures that can limit councils’ capacity to support growth and respond to disasters.
What emerged was a picture of regional development that is about much more than building infrastructure or attracting individual projects.
Growth depends on whether regions can provide housing, skills, services and liveable communities, whether councils have the capacity to support development, and whether government and private capital can work together to turn opportunity into lasting economic activity. It also requires a willingness to look beyond individual regions and recognise the connections between Queensland’s cities, regional centres, industries and supply chains.
That thinking aligns closely with QFI’s 2026 Annual Leaders Survey, where leaders identified infrastructure and energy, workforce and education, and collaboration as priorities for Queensland’s future. The Regions Summit provided an opportunity to explore those priorities through a distinctly regional lens, and to consider what needs to happen now if regional Queensland is to capture the opportunities ahead.
The inaugural Regions Summit was intended to begin a broader conversation, rather than close one. QFI’s new Council for Queensland’s Regions will sit alongside its existing Finance, Health, Futures, Economics and Corporate Affairs councils, reflecting the reality that regional questions are inseparable from the state’s wider economic and social future.
The value of forums like this lies not only in the ideas shared from the stage, but in bringing leaders together to test those ideas, challenge assumptions and identify where collaboration can make a difference. For QFI members, that opportunity to engage directly with senior leaders from across Queensland is an important part of the Institute’s role in shaping the state’s long-term future.