The Queensland Government has identified the sectors of tourism, agriculture, resources and construction as key elements of the state’s ‘four pillar economy’.

The Auditor-General's report to Parliament Regulating waste: protecting the environment (No. 10 of 2011), noted that Queensland was one of Australia’s largest generators of waste and found opportunities to improve the monitoring and enforcement of environmental compliance in the waste industry.

The objective of the audit was to determine whether the supervision, monitoring and enforcement of environmental conditions for resource and waste management activities is effective and protects the state from liability for rehabilitation and the environment from unnecessary harm.