2022-23 Budget

Women and girls have raised their voices to demand equality and respect and we hear you. We are committed to a vision for Queensland as a place where women and girls have equal rights and access to the opportunities available in our state.

Building on existing investment and significant progress to date, and harnessing the momentum from the release of the Queensland women’s strategy 2022–27, the 2022–23 Queensland Budget continues to invest in initiatives that ensure women and girls are supported to succeed. Below are some of the highlights from the new Queensland Budget 2022–23 women’s budget statement.

For more information read the Queensland Budget 2022–23 women’s budget statement.

Economic security

• We will provide $163.4 million to provide housing, support and specialist homelessness services to vulnerable people, including older women and those experiencing domestic and family violence.
• We will provide $100 million towards the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative, which aims to increase workforce participation and improve work opportunities for disadvantaged Queenslanders. As at 31 May 2022 over 35,900 women—more than half of all participants—have benefited from this initiative.

Safety, health and wellbeing

• Significant investment of $363 million will be provided in response to the first report of the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce. This investment into our systems, our communities and our first responders will increase the ability to understand, identify and respond to coercive control and to enable the criminalisation of this form of abuse.

Elevating First Nations women

• We will contribute $2.8 million towards programs offering coaching, mentoring and access to extra-curricular activities to encourage young First Nations women and girls to remain actively engaged in education until completion of Year 12.

Women with diverse backgrounds and experiences

• $7.7 million annually for expanded elder abuse prevention and intervention services. This includes the Elder Abuse Prevention Unit, the Elder Abuse Helpline and specialist financial information and support for victims of elder abuse, with women accounting for over two-thirds of all alleged victims.
• $4 million for the Queensland Disability Advocacy Program which provided advocacy services to more than 480 women and girls in the first quarter of 2022 alone.
• $2.7 million in 2022–23 for the Community Action for a Multicultural Society program to support people from culturally diverse backgrounds, including women, to have opportunities for inclusion in local employment, services, and networks.

Empowerment and recognition

• $1 million over 2 years for the Queensland Country Women’s Association to continue minor works upgrades to infrastructure, including community halls.