On Tuesday, 21 July 2026 estimates hearings for the Governance, Energy and Finance Committee took place.
I asked questions of the Under Treasurer about the calculation of gas royalties and of the Treasurer as to the government's policy of Queenslanders paying more in car rego than gas companies pay in royalties.
You can read my questions and their responses below, or in the official Parliamentary record of proceedings (Hansard) here.
Mr BERKMAN: Yes, I have a few questions for the Under Treasurer around gas royalties. I understand that petroleum royalties are calculated on the basis of either sales revenue data or benchmark prices set out in the regulation. Can you clarify for us in the most recent return period how many gas producers used the benchmark price versus the relevant sales data?
Mr Williams: Would you allow me a bit of time to source that information?
Mr BERKMAN: Certainly. If it is something you have to come back on, I am fine with that.
Mr Williams: If you do not mind, I will see if I have a brief on it then.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please do, Under Treasurer.
Mr Williams: It looks like I will, with your permission, come back at the end of the session.
Mr BERKMAN: That would be great. I am interested in the last couple of reporting periods if possible. On a related question, in relation to the different categories of gas that are produced in Queensland can you give us a breakdown of how many gigajoules of gas produced in the last financial year were project gas, domestic gas and supply gas respectively?
Mr Williams: With your permission I will see if we have that information at hand.
Dr ROWAN: On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker, in relation to specific elements of that question, I wonder if it would be best directed to another portfolio area.
Mr JANETZKI: I have a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker.
Dr ROWAN: The Minister for Natural Resource and Mines will have an opportunity later.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Is there a point of order from across the table?
Mr JANETZKI: Mr Deputy Speaker, I was going to say that some of those questions may even be more relevant to the session tonight in relation to energy. I am happy, pending the Under Treasurer’s response, to get the information soon.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: To your point of order, Treasurer—and member for Maiwar, we will pause for a moment—and Under Treasurer, if this question is within the portfolio remit of Treasury as opposed to resources, I will allow the question. However, if it is a resources question, it should be directed to the Minister for Natural Resources.
Mr BERKMAN: Might I respond?
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, you may. What is your response?
Mr BERKMAN: It is simply that the administrative arrangements order is very clear that those parts of the Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act that relate to royalties are the responsibility of the Treasurer and Treasury.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, I understand that. I also heard your question, which was in relation to the volume produced—
Dr ROWAN: That is my point of order.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:—which would seem to me to be more relevant to the Minister for Natural Resources. If the Treasurer and the Under Treasurer are inclined to give a response in line with their portfolio responsibilities, that would be an acceptable outcome.
Mr Williams: I accept that Treasury’s role includes managing revenue and related issues. We will endeavour to source that information and do our best to provide that by the end of the session if you are so amenable.
Mr BERKMAN: Thank you. I would appreciate that. Again, if possible, I would like to see those figures for each of the last four financial years going back to 2022-23. That would be much appreciated. I will ask a further question directly to the Treasurer now. I am sure the Treasurer is well aware that in his own budget this year we can see motor vehicle registration fees paid by Queenslanders in table 3.2 of Budget Paper 2 are more than twice the amount that was recovered in revenue from gas in table 3.4 of Budget Paper 2. My question to the Treasurer is whether that choice to make Queenslanders pay twice as much as we are getting from gas producers was a deliberate policy choice of this government or an inadvertence, an unintended consequence, of your policy choices?
Dr ROWAN: I have a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. The question as asked by the member for Maiwar seems to be seeking an opinion about a number of elements. I ask you to consider that matter.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, Leader of the House. The question is a policy question in relation to motor vehicle registration costs and royalties. Member for Maiwar, could you restate the last part of your question, please?
Mr BERKMAN: Certainly. The question ultimately is about the current policy position where Queenslanders are paying twice as much in registration costs as we are recovering in royalties from gas producers. Is that a deliberate policy choice of this government or is it an unintended consequence?
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: I call the Treasurer.
Mr JANETZKI: I can offer a few things there. Firstly, as I alluded to before, the registration payable in Queensland is significantly less than, for instance, New South Wales. The comparison is up to $580 for a Toyota Hilux in New South Wales compared to Queensland’s much lower rate of registration. We understand that households are doing it tough and we are determined to do our bit to support Queensland households in the cost-of-living crisis. When I compare that, we are operating at a lower registration amount than other jurisdictions around the country. In respect of gas royalties, I note that there have been no changes to gas royalties since the former government. We see fluctuations in those gas royalties, and they have grown significantly this year, as you will have observed also from the budget papers.
In terms of the premise of the question, we are determined and committed to providing cost-of-living support for Queenslanders and making sure that the balance is right between revenue growth and expense growth, and we have seen that with revenue growth across the forwards of 5.1 per cent—and of course there are fluctuations within that, as I described during the budget process, whether it be gas royalties or registration or coal royalties.
Mr BERKMAN: Point of order, Deputy Speaker: relevance. The question did not go to expenditure at all. It was about the policy decisions and the relative amounts received through royalties for gas and registration expenses. Is it a policy choice or is it an inadvertence?
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes. The Treasurer, I believe, is being relevant to the question. Asking a question about a policy choice opens a very broad range of discussion, and I believe the Treasurer is being relevant to that part of the discussion and that question.
Mr JANETZKI: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. If I build on it, it is not just making sure we have made permanent cost-of-living support for Queenslanders; it is also creating an environment where there are no new or increased taxes. There is taxation certainty and stability, and I have just spent the last couple of questions detailing the challenges we have from the federal government in relation to the goods and services tax and making sure Queensland is getting its fair share for what we are doing in creating a nation-building industry.
It is a wealth-creating industry. As I have said, we have seen from the budget papers significant revenues derived from it, so it is getting that balance right between that stable revenue growth—that 5.1 per cent revenue growth across the forwards that we are seeing—along with expense growth that is far less than the former Labor government left us with. There are different trajectories—6.6 per cent over nine years to 5.4 per cent in our first budget and 4.9 per cent in our second budget. We are getting that balance right and investing more into jobs and services and providing cost-of-living support that Queenslanders can rely on. That is what this budget is all about—getting that balance right—and that is what we have delivered. That is exemplified—it is brought home—by no new or increased taxes, so Queenslanders can rely on that certainty and stability as they go about their lives.
The Treasurer returned to the question later in the day.
Mr JANETZKI: I also have the gas questions from the member for Maiwar earlier, so I have a number of things I need to run through. I refer back to remarks from the earlier session around CopperString and the transfer of assets to QIC. The Crisafulli government has been clear that CopperString will go all the way from Townsville to Mount Isa.
The explanatory notes to the Government Owned Corporations (CopperString Restructure) Regulation 2026 clearly outline the intention that all the assets, liabilities and instruments required to deliver the Eastern Link and Western Link of CopperString will be moved to QIC Ltd. The $3.2 billion record funding will also be funded again next year, I can assure the honourable member for Bundamba. We are absolutely committed after the former cost blowouts from the former government that rendered the project undeliverable. We will deliver it and we have funded a record amount of $3.2 billion this year.
Mr McCALLUM: Put it in the budget papers, then.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Mr JANETZKI: The member for Maiwar asked for a breakdown of producers that account for petroleum royalties calculated on the basis of either sales revenue data or benchmark prices set out in regulation. I am advised that petroleum royalties are reported at the operational level, not by producer.
By default, petroleum royalties are calculated under the Petroleum and Gas (Royalty) Regulation 2021 using average sales prices. Operations may elect to use a benchmark price as the average sales price. Some operations which produce different types of gas may use both methods. Based on the return data for the March 2026 quarterly return, the following represents an approximate breakdown of benchmark elections versus average sales price used by petroleum operations: average sales price, 35; benchmark price, 29.
The member for Maiwar also asked about the volume of supply gas, project gas and domestic gas produced in Queensland over the past four financial years. I am advised that the Queensland Revenue Office can only provide information about volume subject to royalty. Based on royalty return data, the approximate following volumes have been disclosed. For domestic gas: in 2022, it was 306.9 million gigajoules; in 2023, 313 million gigajoules; in 2024, 277.7 million gigajoules; in 2025, 269.3 million gigajoules; and in 2026, as at 21 July 2026, 188 million gigajoules. For project gas: in 2022, it was 1.2 billion gigajoules; in 2023, 1.17 billion gigajoules; in 2024, 1.25 billion gigajoules; in 2025, 1.23 billion gigajoules; and in 2026, as at 21 July 2026, 916.7 million gigajoules. For supply gas: in 2022, it was 58.5 million gigajoules; in 2023, 70.5 million gigajoules; in 2024, 95.1 million gigajoules; in 2025, 110.6 million gigajoules; and in 2026, as at 21 July 2026, 89 million gigajoules.