The Queensland government will set up a new Treasury Transaction Team to attract private capital to help the government deliver its infrastructure pipeline, the treasurer announced on Monday.
As for the extent of government infrastructure being targeted for private investment, David Janetzki cited three potential targets – energy, housing and stadiums.
Janetzki announced the TTT during a Committee for Economic Development of Australia address in South Brisbane, telling assembled business people Queensland was “open for business” while also taking a swipe at Victoria over GST shares.
Treasurer David Janetzki has been selling his first state budget to the business community since he handed it down last week.Credit: Jamila Filippone
“In an era of challenging government debt and challenging balance sheets, deliberate deployment of diverse capital has never been more important,” he said.
Janetzki said the TTT, which would be up and running on August 1, would “explore different models to deliver commercially for investors, while delivering for taxpayers”.
Speaking to media following the address, Janetzki said the TTT would be responsible for capital attraction, transaction management and “sending a clear message to the market that we’re open for business”.
Asked whether the TTT would result in public-private partnerships (PPPs) in areas not traditionally open to PPPs, Janetzki said: “We want to send a clear message that we’re open for business.”
“The clear element here is that we want to attract private capital into Queensland, whether it be renewables, housing, those investments into the Gabba precinct,” he said.
“That’s the kind of thing we’re looking at.”
