Queensland State Budget: What you need to know

Treasurer Tim Nicholls has handed down his first budget for Queensland, describing it as "the most important budget in a generation."
 

The austere state budget has little in the way of big new spending measures, but will raise taxes on coal mining royalties and stamp duty on homes worth over $1 million.
Treasurer Tim Nicholls says his government has made the hard decisions to get Queensland's finances "back on track, and back in the black."
The first LNP budget is centred on "Queensland families, Queensland business and regional Queensland".
Mr Nicholls says state debt stands at $62.7 billion this year but the budget will return to an operating surplus of $17 million in 2013-14
 

Spending
 

Mr Nicholls says the first budget under Premier Campbell Newman delivered on key commitments to lower the cost of living, revitalise frontline services, grow a four-pillar economy based on construction, agriculture, tourism and resources and help to regain the state's AAA credit rating.
 
Health

The State Government says it will spend a total of $11.8 billion making it the biggest health budget in Queensland history.
Mr Nicholls outlined $1.3 billion of those funds set out to "construct, expand and redevelop hospitals" on the Gold Coast, Cairns, Brisbane, Mackay, Ipswich, Townsville, Rockhampton and Mt Isa; while $51.6 million will be spent upgrading regional and remote hospital services.
Health Minister Lawrence Springborg flagged that around 2,700 jobs would be cut last Friday, however the Australian Medical Association Queensland [AMAQ] President says the State Government's budget factors in almost 1,400 more redunancies than was previously announced last week.
AMAQ's Dr Alex Markwell says the budget focuses on financial gains and not on the long-term health of Queenslanders.

http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2012/09/11/3587575.htm