Overview: Queensland spends less on social services than the rest of Australia in per capita terms, despite being a large state with a growing population.

In the major areas of health and education, Queensland spends less per person than any other state except NSW and Victoria – both of which benefit from large populations in relatively small, easily serviceable areas.

In contrast to the state’s low social spending, the Queensland Government spent $9.5 billion assisting the mining and fossil fuel industry between 2008-09 and 2013-14, more than any other state.

This spending cannot be justified as employment creation. Mining is among the most capital intensive industries, producing less jobs per million dollars than almost any other industry.