May 2026 Chamber of Commerce Newsletter
New appointments for Queensland Investment Corporation
The Board of Queensland Investment Corporation will be bolstered with new appointments of the Honourable Peter Dutton and Michael Choi OAM. The appointments are designed to put a greater focus on developing investment areas of critical minerals and defence industries.
Queensland is home to 51 of the world’s most sought-after critical minerals and is making a major bid for Australia’s critical mineral agreement with the United States. The Honourable Peter Dutton will bring his expansive government and defence industry experience, to provide strategic advice on accelerating development through the flagship Sovereign Industry Development Fund.
Former Beattie Government Assistant Minister Michael Choi OAM will bring broad experience in the critical minerals sector, as the government seeks to secure international investment into the emerging critical minerals sector.
Criminalise AI ‘deepfake’ abuse
The Crisafulli Government will slam shut a loophole and introduce new laws to criminalise the creation of ‘deepfake’ sexually explicit images of a person without their consent using digital technology, as part of its commitment to make Queensland safer. Advances in technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), have made it easier than ever to create hyper-realistic images and videos that falsely depict real people.
Highly accessible AI tools can now generate sexually explicit content without a person’s knowledge or consent – a growing concern in Queensland schools – with harmful content being generated to cyber-bully. To ensure Queensland laws keep pace with technology, the Crisafulli Government will criminalise the creation of intimate images of a person through digital technology without their consent, closing the loophole that has allowed perpetrators to evade accountability.
Inquiry to probe impact of Federal environmental legislation
The Queensland Productivity Commission will conduct an inquiry into the impacts of the Federal Government’s environmental legislation (EPBC). The independent inquiry will investigate stakeholder concerns about compliance costs, delays and uncertainty for Queensland businesses, and the impacts of resources projects being excluded from the National Interest Fast-Track Assessment Pathway. The QPC inquiry will examine economic impacts, risk to jobs, cost-shifting to states, impacts on major projects, and the consequences of the changes for agricultural production, land value and land management.
Applications open for 2026 Export Awards
Queensland businesses encouraged to apply for 2026 Premier of Queensland’s Export Awards, with applications open until June 12, and finalists announced in August.
The awards are one of the highest achievements in Queensland’s $138.9 billion export industry. For more information visit www.exportawards.gov.au
As always, if you have any State issues you would like to discuss with me, don’t hesitate to contact my office.
Phone: 07 5600 0100
Email: mermaid.beach@parliament.qld.gov.au
Address: 1/2434 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach, 4218, QLD
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raystevens.mp
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Cheers Ray
