The state government's six rail and port entities provide Queensland with access to passenger and freight transport facilities, generate profit, and benefit the public. Each financial year, the Queensland Auditor-General provides parliament with independent assurance about the financial management of these public sector entities, which includes the Queensland Rail Group (including the Queensland Rail Transit Authority and Queensland Rail Limited), Far North Queensland Ports Corporation Limited, Gladstone Ports Corporation Limited, North Queensland Ports Corporation Limited, and Port of Townsville Limited.

Queensland Rail Group's role as Queensland's railway manager and operator is to service the passenger, tourism, resources, and freight customer markets across more than 6 500 kilometres of track.

Queensland has a network of 20 ports, ranging from small community ports to large coal export terminals and a capital city multi-cargo port. The four government-owned port corporations manage 19 of these ports, and a private company manages the Port of Brisbane.

This report summarises the results of our financial audits of the Queensland state government's six rail and port entities for 2015–16. We assessed the financial performance, position, and sustainability of these entities, and also looked at whether they are financially sustainable and have reliable controls in place.