The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport will hold hearings with over 30 witnesses across the state of Queensland this week as part of its inquiry into local government funding.
The Committee wants to better understand the funding challenges faced by local government across Queensland, particularly those councils that are providing services and infrastructure to regional and rural Australians.
Committee Chair, Mrs Fiona Phillips MP, said "The Committee is looking forward to learning more about the fiscal sustainability of local government across the state of Queensland, the challenges that councils are facing, and the opportunities for enhancing services and infrastructure."
Hearings will begin in Townsville on Wednesday 10 June where the committee will hear from the North Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils and the North West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils. A range of individual regional councils will also appear, including the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council and the Torres Strait Island Regional Council, alongside Regional Development Australia (RDA) Tropical North.
The Committee will then travel to Roma for hearings on Thursday 11 June to hear from the South West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils and the Western Queensland Alliance of Councils. The Queensland Farmers' Federation and the Royal Flying Doctors Service (Queensland Section) will also appear to provide an alternative perspective on local government in the area.
The committee then travels to Brisbane on Friday 12 June to hear from a range of council, associations and organisations. This includes the Local Government Association of Queensland, the Queensland Local Government Grants Commission and the Services Union.
Programs for each public hearing are available on the inquiry webpage.
Further information on the inquiry, including the terms of reference and how to contribute, is available on the Committee's website.
Public hearing details
Date: Wednesday, 10 June 2026
Time: 9.00 am – 3.30 pm
Location: Grand Chancellor Hotel, Castle Hill Room, 334 Flinders Street, Townsville
Date: Thursday, 11 June 2026
Time: 9.00 am – 2.50 pm
Location: U3A – Senior Citizens Building, 53 Bungil St, Roma, Queensland
Date: Friday, 12 June 2026
Time: 9.00 am – 3.15 pm
Location: Queensland Parliament, Committee Room 1, Cnr George and Alice Streets, Brisbane
Public hearings are broadcast live on the Australian Parliament House Streaming Portal.
Details for upcoming public hearings and more information about the inquiry, including the terms of reference, submissions and transcripts of previous hearings, is available on the inquiry webpage.
