Speaking at CEDA's third annual Queensland State of the State event, Premier Bligh declared Queensland should "actively embrace growth", including continued population growth. Queensland needed to see population growth as an economic driver, she said, "and we need to make sure we are managing that growth, not freezing it".

Ms Bligh outlined her government’s four-point plan for the future of Queensland. She also:

• reiterated her commitment to the program of local council amalgamations;
• argued Queensland was in a strong position to market its water management expertise, particularly in Asia;
• outlined the budget implications of a fall in GST revenue and the $82bn infrastructure program; and
• pointed out the underlying strength of the State’s finances.

The huge Brisbane audience tops the 600-plus who heard Prime Minister John Howard's views on energy and water in Sydney just over a year ago. It also tops the 800 who crammed into three rooms in Melbourne's Leonda Restaurant to hear Milton Friedman in 1981.