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Queensland's public service is set to increase by about 6000 in the next 12 months, on top of the 210,970 employed in the December 2016 quarter, budget papers released on Tuesday show.
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'Sick and tired': Premier's budget speech
The Labor government will go on a "massive infrastructure spend", including fully funding Cross River Rail and sending Malcolm Turnbull the bill.
That was a 2.8 per cent growth for 2017-18, slightly down from 3 per cent in 2016-17, the budget figures showed.
In 2014-15 and 2015-16 the number of fulltime public servants grew by 4.3 per cent – or by 8764 – between 2014-15 and 2015-16 financial years.
It then grew by 3 per cent (6350 public servants) in the 2016-17 year, mostly in the senior levels of A08 or above.
"Full time equivalent jobs are estimated to increase by around 6000, or 2.8 per cent in 2017-18," the papers showed.
"Around 82 per cent of the increase is attributable to growth in health and education.
"These additional fulltime equivalent positions will continue to reduce the number of patients waiting longer than the recommended times, will relieve pressure on class sizes and continue to student outcomes."
Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt said a 2.5 per wage increase policy had already been factored into the forward estimates and $300 million was set for 2017-18 year to cover additional public service wages.
In his budget speech, Mr Pitt said the government had restored frontline public servants during 2017-18 and would now operate under a new fiscal discipline requiring 1.7 per cent fulltime jobs growth.
"Population growth will track at 1.5 per cent and growth in full-time employees will be at 1.7 on average over the forward estimates," he said.
Mr Pitt said overall budget expenses would grow by 3.2 per cent over the 2017-18 financial year, with an increase triggered by the $1.1 billion costs of Cyclone Debbie in March 2016.
"Last year we introduced a new fiscal principle related to growing the government workforce in line with population growth, on average, over the forward estimates," he said.
But Mr Pitt said it would be wrong to reduce the workforce to show the impact of a natural disaster on government expenses.
"It would be irresponsible – not just socially, but economically – to slash funding for reconstruction and frontline services every time a natural disaster impacts on revenue," he said.
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