Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers
Queensland Budget 2026-27 · Crisafulli Government
As at budget day (2026-06-23)
Across budgets
Tracked across 2 budgets (2025-26 to 2026-27).
Key service areas
Budget initiatives
Freezing bulk water prices in South East Queensland for two years from 1 July 2026, saving households around $130.
South East Queensland households save around $130 over two years as bulk water prices are frozen.
Revenue foregone; two-year price freeze. Cost not separately broken out in BP4.
$545 million over six years for capacity-restoring upgrades to North Pine and Lake Macdonald dams. Separate water-security projects include Paradise Dam ($59.8 million in 2026-27) and Borumba Dam investigations ($324 million in 2026-27).
Restores dam capacity at North Pine and Lake Macdonald equivalent to a new dam more than double the size of the Bjelke-Petersen Dam, giving farmers and families more water security; Paradise Dam and Borumba Dam are progressed under separate funding.
Capital. The $545M total over 6 years covers North Pine and Lake Macdonald dam upgrades only and does NOT include Paradise Dam or Borumba Dam, which BP1 p.18-19 treats as separate projects ($59.8M for Paradise Dam in 2026-27; $324M for Borumba Dam investigations in 2026-27, delivered via water GOCs). BP2 cites $276.2M towards dam improvement projects in 2026-27.
$54 million over three years for upgrades to Cressbrook Dam to secure one of the Toowoomba region's most vital drinking water assets.
Upgrades Cressbrook Dam to secure the long-term safety and reliability of drinking water for the Toowoomba region.
General Government operating, $54M over 3 years
$40.5 million over two years to support the financial sustainability and operational capacity of Indigenous Councils.
Helps Indigenous Councils deliver programs and services for their communities by supporting their financial sustainability.
General Government operating, $40.5M over 2 years
$22 million over four years ($28 million over seven years) to subsidise the cost of water supplied to Cloncurry Shire Council via the North West Queensland Water Pipeline.
Keeps water affordable for Cloncurry households and small businesses supplied via the North West Queensland Water Pipeline.
General Government operating, $22M over 4 years ($28M over 7 years)
$1.2 million over three years to deliver the first phase of the 10-year Volunteering Plan, including support for Volunteering Queensland and Volunteer Resource Centres.
Supports volunteers and volunteer organisations across Queensland through the first phase of a 10-year Volunteering Plan.
General Government operating, $1.2M over 3 years
Forward estimates
Year-by-year allocations for 4 measures with published forward profiles.
| Measure | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | 2028-29 | 2029-30 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement | $16.2M | $23.2M | $14.6M | — | — | $54.0M |
| Indigenous Councils Funding Program | — | $27M | $13.5M | — | — | $40.5M |
| Cloncurry Pipeline Water Supply Subsidy | — | $7M | $6M | $5M | $4M | $22.0M |
| Volunteering Plan | — | $453,000 | $503,000 | $254,000 | — | $1.2M |
| Total | $16.2M | $57.7M | $34.6M | $5.3M | $4.0M | $117.7M |
Performance metrics
Service standards from the Service Delivery Statement. Targets and actuals as published.
| Metric | Prior target | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | |
| Percentage of State's water monitoring network maintained to provide accurate and reliable data | 90% | 95% | 90% |
| Percentage of the State's drinking water service providers compliant with drinking water regulatory requirements | 95% | 100% | 95% |
| Average cost per participant to implement and deliver workshops and support visits to Water Supply Providers | <$375 | $506 | <$375 |
| Level of satisfaction of local governments (Mayors and CEOs) with the effectiveness, timeliness and quality of advice, services and support provided by the department | 85% | 87% | 85% |
| Cost of capacity building per local government | $72,000 | $97,000 | $80,000 |
| Level of satisfaction of local governments (Mayors and CEOs) with the administration of local government funding programs | 85% | 85% | 85% |
| Complaint clearance rate (Office of the Independent Assessor) | 90% | 99% | 90% |
| Average cost per assessment of complaint (Office of the Independent Assessor) | <$500 | $523 | <$515 |
Source: Service Delivery Statement. Prior target and actual are for 2024-25; target is for 2025-26.
Source document
Service Delivery Statement — Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers (PDF)Last updated: 2026-06-24. Factual information from published budget documents.