Queensland MPs have joined more than 400 people in Mackay in the north today, taking part in a summit to plan the state's future.

Earlier this year, the State Government announced it would develop the Queensland Plan, outlining the goals, aspirations and challenges in coming decades.

Almost all of the state's 89 MPs are attending today, and each are bringing along three delegates to contribute ideas.

Premier Campbell Newman says today's summit is only one step in the process of developing a 30-year vision for the state.

The second summit in October will review and prioritise the feedback, with the plan to be released by the end of the year.

The 400 delegates will be asked to come up with the questions Queenslanders need to be asked and develop engagement plans.

Mr Newman says another Queensland planning forum will be held later in the year and the entire process will cost $4.6 million.

"There's nothing sitting in a bottom drawer that's going to be pulled out to say 'here it is' - this starts from scratch," Mr Newman said.

"So [today] is about how it works and what we're going to do between now and October.

"There'll be a 30-year plan out of the summit in October after many months of consultation."

Gladstone independent MP Liz Cunningham says the representatives from across the state need to be heard.

"We've got three out of every 89 electorates - this is not members of parliament - these are community representatives who have committed an entire day of their time to be able to contribute to the Queensland Plan formation," she said.

"As a mark of respect to them we need to take notice of what's said."

Futurist address

Delegates have heard from CSIRO futurist Stefan Hajkowicz on six major challenges facing the world in coming decades to help shape the discussion.

They include scarcity of resources, the rise of the Asian economy, the increasing role of the internet in areas like retail, the ageing population, increasing chronic illness, and future demand for resources.

Dr Hajkowicz says the tourism and agricultural sectors are the state's strengths.

"Why we've honed in on the tourism sector is because of the growth in demand from Asia that are likely to occur," he said.

"The graphs of Chinese and Indian visitors is really very steep.

"Agriculture is finding it hard at the moment because of the high Aussie dollar, but the long-term trends I think over decades are that population growth and income growth around the world will create massive demand for the things that Queensland can do."

Dr Hajkowicz says the entire world will have to deal with declining availability and increased demand for minerals, food, water, and energy resources.

"There's opportunities in this space for Queensland as well," he said.

"The more innovative we get about how we use resources, the more efficient that we can be, the better that we can differentiate ourselves - so there's openings in this story.

"It doesn't paint an awful, bad picture in total - there is a good side to it as well."

Infrastructure demand

Mrs Cunningham says the rest of the state can learn from Gladstone's growing pains.

"Meeting infrastructure demand in a timely manner - that hasn't happened," she said.

"Statewide there's a lot of lessons to be learnt there, so that's the sort of thing we're going armed with.

"We have been for quite a number of years a major contributor to the state's economy.

"That contribution is growing exponentially with LNG [liquefied natural gas] but with every industry that is here already and are coming."

Local community leader Greg Sutherland is one of the delegates representing Mackay at the summit.

He says with 400 other delegates in the room, there will be a lot of information to compile.

"There is a process in place - we've had our briefings now, then we do the community engagement from June to August and then in late 2013 the release of the plan," he said.

"I'm very confident in my case, working with [Mackay MP] Timmy Mulherin we will be able to put together the information they're asking us to do.

"Let the people tell us and when we go back in October we've got to feedback the information from our local electorates then put it into the grander scheme of things."

Rockhampton building company owner Geoff Murphy was invited by Rockhampton MP Bill Byrne.

Mr Murphy says he is confident some good ideas will emerge from the discussions and it will not be just a "talk fest".

"I do believe there is a real willingness, both by the Government and the Opposition to really make this work and try to make something out of it," he said..

"I think if everybody goes up there with a view that it is going to work and they're going to have an input into it - put politics aside and discuss this thing - I think that a lot of good can come out of it."

Indigenous policy

"I'm really passionate about how the Indigenous family can participate economically, socially, in a positive way, to ensure that there's long sustainability for the families and their children and their children's children," he said.

"I think we need to be very part of that process that determines what happens to us.

"A lot of families are struggling in the community and families have to have access to resources locally, so that they can empower them to make the right decisions for their lives.

"At the end of the day the family unit is really important."

Natural disasters

Delegate John Hughes, from the Tully Chamber of Commerce in the state's far north, says he hopes the process will help improve reconstruction efforts after natural disasters.

"It's the same in Tully - we're now entering our sixth month of a piece of roadwork of about 500 metres," he said.

"It's just destroying the town's businesses.

"There just seems to be no comprehension at a higher level of the problems that they're causing to local economies."

Geoff Campbell, from the Urban Development Institute of Australia, is one of the delegates representing Bundaberg in southern Queensland at the summit.

He says the area will become an urban hub in the next 30 years.

"The challenge is where do we put the people who are going to come into Queensland over the next 30 years and a place like Bundaberg is ideally located in terms of location, transport routes to Brisbane, and climate to become quite a major urban centre," he said.

"People will come and work here at various parts of their careers and decide that it's just the best place for them to stop and raise their children."

Mr Campbell says the Bundaberg region also needs to capitalise on the fly in, fly out (FIFO) workforce.

"That's got to be a big one for the Queensland summit - for the 30-year plan - because I don't think we've worked out how to properly deal with the phenomenon of the FIFO work force," he said.

"Obviously they can be based anywhere and they will base themselves at somewhere that's convenient and affordable for them and their family.

"The transport routes to where they have to work will obviously play a big part in that."

Rural needs

Windorah grazier and former mayor Bruce Scott is one of the community representatives attending the summit from the Gregory electorate in western Queensland.

He says the needs of remote areas have been neglected by successive Governments and it is time for a more flexible, regional-based approach to ensure rural areas get the services they deserve.

"It is not just a matter of you choose to live there and that is your plight," he said.

"We need to make sure that these towns are vibrant, and that people want to live in these communities and not just follow this tradition of urban sprawl towards major population areas.

"More regional - or remote more than regional areas - have been somewhat forgotten in their needs in this quickly emerging and developing economy we are in."

Mr Scott says he wants to highlight that "one size doesn't fit all" when it comes to making decisions for rural communities.

"The needs of the south-east corner and the major population centres along the coast - they are entirely different to the needs of regional and remote Queensland," he said.

"In fact, the more remote places are even different to regional Queensland.

"I think there is an opportunity here to get it right."

Kenilworth farmer Mary Ann Law is one of three delegates representing the Sunshine Coast electorate of Nicklin at the summit.

Mrs Law says it is vital struggling rural communities are protected in any plan developed by the State Government.

She says the population of Kenilworth has declined in recent years and numbers at the school are also down.

Mrs Law says it is a similar scenario in many rural towns.

"They'll just keep going backwards," he said.

"We've had businesses closing down in Kenilworth and we regret that and would like to encourage small businesses to move back in there.

"I really can't envisage what it'll be like in 30 years' time - I hope it'll still exist in the same sort of format that it is now but I think we have to work very hard to keep it that way."

Gympie Deputy Mayor Tony Perrett says population growth needs to be encouraged in rural areas to diversify the economic base away from the coast.

"There's got to be that long-term commitment and by getting the basics right - the transport links, education and health opportunities in those rural and regional areas," he said.

"It provides an opportunity for professionals to go into those areas and then if that wealth can be created through the agricultural industries across Queensland, then certainly that investment will follow, that wealth creation.

"If the private sector or businesses aren't making money then they're not going to see an opportunity in those areas.

"That links into education opportunities, health, transport links into these areas so that they're not disadvantaged if you're living in rural and regional Queensland.

"You've got access to the same services as what the city-based residents in this region have as well."

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