With a hostile, socialist-left Labor government in Canberra more than ever before Queensland needs a new northern state, a subject frequently mentioned across the north by fed-up businessmen, councils, fishermen, cattle producers, transport industry and the general public. While the idea has been around for decades, North and Central Queensland have been the economic powerhouses of the state with their abundant coal and cattle industries employing many tens of thousands, yet political power has been centralised in the South East corner which now dictates to the hard-working, tax-paying inhabitants of northern Queensland.
Are not the more than one million residents of Central and North Queensland deserving of the same political representation as the 470,000 residents of Tasmania, that being:
a. a Bicameral parliament,
b. a 35-member Legislative Assembly,
c. a 15-member Legislative Council,
d. 5 Federal House of Representatives members and
e. 12 Federal Senators.
Urgency increases as regional political influence diminishes
Over recent decades, with the high levels of immigration and subsequent rapid increase of the population in South East Queensland (SEQ), the political influence of regional residents has been eroded. Of the 93 seat Legislative Assembly of the Queensland Parliament, only 20, representing some 1.5 million residents are more than 250km from the Brisbane CBD.
The quality of life for all residents of regional Queensland and Australia will be enhanced by the creation of a northern Queensland state in accordance with the provisions of Chapter VI of the Commonwealth Constitution.
The detrimental effects of unmitigated immigration to the Australian way of life are now more evident than ever before as Australians struggle to own or rent a home, pay power bills, put food on the table or get a job. Our northern identity is almost lost to immigration and a Brisbane-centric government.
Brisbane’s hosting of the 1932 Olympic Games has been the final straw as billions of infrastructure funds exit North Queensland to be spent on largely single-use games infrastructure in Brisbane.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli with his pre-budget softening up of everyone who lives outside of the South East corner, advised them to tighten their belts during an interview on commercial television.
“The 2025-26 Budget is delivering nearly $5 billion for 2032 and beyond, with world-class venues, infrastructure, villages and a positive legacy to last for Queenslanders,” Mr Crisafulli said.
The concept of a new state of North Queensland has been around for decades but every northern Liberal, National or Labor MP is terrified of it, fearing they would lose control of the state and its lurks and perks, Ministerial leather, bountiful staff, new cars, free international travel, inflated superannuation for life, jobs for the boys and worst of all no free membership of the Queensland Club, 19 George Street, Brisbane, a frequent haunt of the ‘big end of town.’
Today the only political supporters of a new state are the three state members of Katters Australian Party who hold electoral dominance over much of the north.
Leader Robbie Katter has continually promoted the new state in contrast to Ipswich-based Pauline Hanson who has opposed a new state for many years for no logical reason other than going along with the Liberals who do not support it.
KAP also strongly opposed the 1932 Olympic Games going to Brisbane with an already bankrupt Queensland economy.
A poll taken by the Cairns Post newspaper some years ago resulted in 51 per cent of respondents agreeing with the creation of a new northern state.
REXIT Australia (QLD) Inc. Mission Statement
Through active advocacy, with the support of the residents of Central and North Queensland, cause the Queensland Government to initiate the process of creating a new state of Northern Queensland.
Introduction
REXIT (Regional Exit Australia) embraces the provisions of Chapter VI of the Commonwealth Constitution, the history of previous colonial and post Federation separation movements and the legal precedents created by the New South Wales, New State Referendum Act 1966 and the subsequent New State Referendum held on 27th April 1967 in the quest to for the creation of a viable new Northern Queensland State for the million residents of Central and North Queensland by the separation of those regions from the State of Queensland.
A new Northern Queensland State, comprising the regions of Central and North Queensland would have a population of more than one million residents, sufficient to guarantee five (5) seats in the House of Representatives, with an area of more than 1,000,000k2, vast mineral wealth, mature mining and agricultural industries and wealth creation potential. Accordingly, a Northern Queensland State is economically viable and would have a state domestic product of nearly twice that of South Australia.
New State Border
In respect to a new Northern Queensland State only the determination of the southern border needs to be made as the remaining borders are confined by shoreline and the existing borders with the Northern Territory and South Australia. Many new state advocates have laboured over the determination of a suitable southern border or are tempted to have an appointed commission make such a determination.
Northern Queensland is in a unique situation in that both the Commonwealth and the Queensland governments have identified, acknowledged and promulgated a suitable southern border of the Northern Queensland State.
The Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Act 2016 define Northern Australia and by default, Northern Queensland. Both the Commonwealth and Queensland Treasury have published maps detailing the division of Northern Queensland. The maps are detailed in the following documents:
- https://naif.gov.au/who-we-are/corporate-governance/naif-act-investment-mandate/
- https://www.treasury.qld.gov.au/programs-and-policies/northern-australia-infrastructure-facility/
The southern border as detailed in the above documents guaranty the creation of an economically viable Northern Queensland State with the inclusion of all 49 Central and North Queensland local Government Areas, Torres Strait Island Region, Torres Shire, Northern Peninsula Area Region, Mapoon Shire, Napranum Shire, Weipa Town, Aurukun Shire, Barcaldine Region, Kowanyama Shire, Pormpuraaw Shire, Carpentaria Shire, Cook Shire, Lockhart River Shire, Hope Vale Shire, Wujal Wujal Shire, Douglas Shire, Mareeba Shire, Tablelands Region, Cairns Region, Yarrabah Shire, Cassowary Coast Region, Palm Island Shire, Hinchinbrook Shire, Etheridge Shire, Croydon Shire, Burke Shire, Mornington Shire, Doomadgee Shire, Mount Isa City, Cloncurry Shire, McKinlay Shire, Richmond Shire, Flinders Shire, Charters Towers Region, Townsville City, Burdekin Shire, Whitsunday Region, Mackay Region, Isaac Region, Barcaldine Region, Longreach Region, Winton Shire, Boulia Shire, Diamantina Shire, Barcoo Shire, Blackall-Tambo Region, Central Highlands Region, Woorabinda Shire, Livingstone Shire, Rockhampton Region and Gladstone Region.
The official boundary is already drawn which extends from Exmouth in Western Australia to south of Rockhampton in Central Queensland.
Secretary of REXIT, Bill Bates of Cairns said the aim of REXIT, “through active advocacy, with the support of the residents of Central and North Queensland, cause the Queensland Government to initiate the process of creating a new state of Northern Queensland.”
There has been much discussion among new state advocates of just where the new border would be drawn, but Mr Bates said the State and Federal governments had already delineated an official border between north and south Queensland and Australia.
“In respect to a new Northern Queensland State only the determination of the southern border needs to be made as the remaining borders are confined by shoreline and the existing borders with the Northern Territory and South Australia. Many new state advocates have laboured over the determination of a suitable southern border or are tempted to have an appointed commission make such a determination.
“However, Northern Queensland is in a unique situation in that both the Commonwealth and the Queensland governments have identified, acknowledged and promulgated a suitable southern border of the northern Queensland State,” Mr Bates said.
