Queensland splashes millions to lure business to bush

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the package in Rockhampton at the Courier Mail Bush Summit, which brings leaders of government and industry to discuss the issues facing areas beyond the state's southeast.

The $50 million Backing Business in the Bush Fund aims to help businesses expand, relocate to the regions and adapt as Queensland competes for export markets.

"This is about helping business expand and relocate to the region's supporting more good secure jobs and more skilled opportunities in traditional industries," Ms Palaszczuk told the gathering on Friday.

The $30 million Backing Bush Communities Fund includes $10 million for councils to fund community projects. 

Councils and community organisations based outside southeast Queensland will be able to apply for grants of $50,000 towards events such as parks, festivals and improving local infrastructure.

The fund also includes $8 million for workforce training in partnership with the Queensland Farmers Federation and AgForce, with a focus on essential and emerging skills for agriculture.

Queensland was proudly Australia's most decentralised state and its strength was in the regions, she said.

"Industries like mining and agriculture never skipped a beat during the pandemic," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"They helped make the Queensland economy the best in the nation."

The premier pointed to the more than 88,000 regional jobs that had been created since Labor was elected in 2015, as well as her government's $89 billion infrastructure spree, more than two-thirds of which was being spent in the regions.

The new funding would encourage growth in the regions, help bring in new private investment, bolster existing businesses and help future-proof the workforce, the premier said.

Ms Palasazcuk was also asked about expanding incentives to attract key workers to regional areas and acknowledged more needed to be done.

She said the issue was a national one: "Everyone is like poaching everybody else's stuff, and it's who's got the best incentives to get people."

State Opposition Leader David Crisafulli, Health Minister Shannon Fentiman and senator Matt Canavan are among the speakers at the event.

Mining magnate Gina Reinhart will deliver the keynote speech.