Darling Downs

Regional delivery — Queensland Budget 2026-27

6
Tracked initiatives
635
Social homes in progress

Across budgets

Tracked across 5 budgets (2022-23 to 2026-27).

Highlights

  • New Toowoomba Hospital
  • Toowoomba Equestrian Centre of Excellence
  • Brigalow Gas Peaker
  • New Back Creek Bridge at Cooyar
  • Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement

Health & social services

Social housing

635 homes in construction or under contract

Capital works & projects

13 projects from the Regional Delivery Plan.

Health3 projects
New Toowoomba Hospital (Baillie Henderson Campus, 538 overnight beds)
New CT scanner at Dalby Hospital
Kingaroy Hospital Helipad
Education1 project
Cherbourg State School education facilities (Buwu Program, Closing the Gap)
Transport1 project
Back Creek Bridge upgrade at Cooyar (New England Highway)
Housing1 project
Toowoomba Youth Foyer (40 apartments)
Safety2 projects
Kingaroy fire and rescue station replacement
Local rural fire stations (Bennett and Mount Binga)
Infrastructure3 projects
Toowoomba Equestrian Centre of Excellence (Games venues)
Cressbrook Dam safety improvement
Residential Activation Fund (Highfields and Dalby)
Environment1 project
Brigalow Gas Peaking Plant (400MW) and Kogan Creek maintenance (Electricity Maintenance Guarantee)
Economy1 project
Toowoomba Manufacturing Hub

Source: Regional Delivery Plan. Not all projects have published amounts.

Region-specific budget initiatives

Hospital Rescue Plan$2.206BContinuingCapitalAnnounced

Builds three new hospitals (Bundaberg, Coomera, Toowoomba) and the Queensland Cancer Centre and expands ten others, adding more than 2,600 hospital beds across the state.

2026-27: $2.206B

Capital. $2.206 billion in 2026-27 for Major Hospital Infrastructure (new hospitals and major expansions) of a $17.271 billion total project cost (BP3 Capital Statement, Queensland Health). The broader 2026-27 Queensland Health capital program advancing the Plan is $4.040 billion (BP2 p.4); the yearProfile shows only the 2026-27 Major Hospital Infrastructure spend.

Residential Activation Fund Round 2$1B totalExpandedCapitalAnnounced

Funds the roads, water and sewerage needed to unlock thousands of new home sites across the state, with at least $1 billion reserved for regional communities.

Round 2 doubled to $1 billion, part of the $2 billion Residential Activation Fund. Year-by-year profile not separately disclosed in BP4.

Replacement Fire Stations Hervey Bay and Kingaroy$2.9MNewCapitalAnnounced

New fire and rescue stations in Hervey Bay and Kingaroy improve emergency response and replace ageing facilities.

2026-27: $2.9M2027-28: $4.4M2028-29: $8.7M

Capital, $16.0M over 3 years for Hervey Bay and Kingaroy. BP1 cites $31.4 million for new fire stations in Hervey Bay, Kingaroy and Ayr.

Energy Roadmap and Maintenance Guarantee$5.2B totalContinuingCapitalAnnounced

Puts downward pressure on power prices, with the Energy Roadmap Price Drop saving Ergon households around 7% and small businesses 8%, backed by major power station maintenance overhauls.

$5.2 billion Energy Roadmap, including a $1.8 billion Electricity Maintenance Guarantee over five years. Delivered largely through government-owned corporations; 2026-27 General Government profile not broken out in BP4.

Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement$23.2MNewAnnounced

Upgrades Cressbrook Dam to secure the long-term safety and reliability of drinking water for the Toowoomba region.

2025-26: $16.2M2026-27: $23.2M2027-28: $14.6M

General Government operating, $54M over 3 years

2032 Games Venues and Brisbane Stadium$765MContinuingCapitalAnnounced

Construction is underway on the new Brisbane Stadium at Victoria Park, with works progressing on other Games venues and athlete villages for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

2026-27: $765M

Capital, $765.0M budgeted in 2026-27 to progress Games venues and athlete villages, within the $7.1 billion joint venues funding. A further $916.8M over four years covers the first six minor venues and $1.853 billion over four years for villages.

Statewide measures

Most budget measures are allocated statewide rather than to individual regions. The full budget overview lists all 101 tracked initiatives, many of which deliver services in Darling Downs. The Regional Delivery Plan (linked below) details specific capital works and programs for this region.

Source document

Regional Delivery Plan — Darling Downs (PDF)

Last updated: 2026-06-24. Factual information from published budget documents.