Queensland must wean itself off coal, says Jackie Trad – but not yet

Deputy premier says the state's coal-fired power stations will be among the last to close in the nation, despite 2050 zero emissions target

Queensland's plan to slash carbon pollution would generate "ongoing discussion" about shutting coal-fired power stations, despite expert advice that the need for closures was more than a decade away, the deputy premier, Jackie Trad, has said.

While the Palaszczuk government was determined to drive Queensland's transformation from Australia's biggest carbon polluter to a zero net emitter by 2050, it would rely for now on the economics of renewable energy and the "goodwill and leadership of industry" where national political leaders had failed, she said.