Plans for a Burning Man-style festival in Queensland's outback are still just a pipedream, despite at least two years of work by senior public servants.
The proposal is the brainchild of Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ), but Tourism Minister Kate Jones admitted it is still another several years in the making.
"A festival slated for outback Queensland known as 'Oasis Q' is still under development by TEQ," Ms Jones said.
"I expect this event to be up and running in the next two to three years."
ABC News last year revealed two senior public servants working on the project charged taxpayers $27,000 for a trip to the US in 2017 to attend the internationally renowned Burning Man event, which is held in Nevada's Black Rock Desert.
At the time, a TEQ spokeswoman said the pair went to "examine" the festival for inspiration for a similar event in outback Queensland.
The Minister's office did not reveal how many staff were currently working on the festival or a proposed location for it to be held.
'Another taxpayer-funded junket'
Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander said it did not add up, calling the 2017 trip a "junket".
"At the time, Labor justified wasting $30,000 for two bureaucrats to attend the Burning Man festival as a way to bring a similar event here," he said.
"We now know this was all smoke and mirrors and just another taxpayer-funded junket.
"[Premier] Annastacia Palaszczuk and her celebrity-chasing Tourism Minister [Kate Jones] are completely out of touch to think that this passes any kind of credibility test."
Mr Mander said a Burning Man-style event might not be the right fit for regional Queensland.
"They need tourist events that will have an attraction in the general community — this one is way on the edge," Mr Mander said.
"It's been very controversial overseas and something I don't think would be acceptable."
Ms Jones said during the 2017 trip the senior executives gained insights for other events and met with organisers of the World Surfing League.
"On the same mission, the relevant officers also signed a new agreement with the World Surf League in Los Angeles, securing the future of the Quicksilver and Boost Mobile Pro tournaments on the Gold Coast," Ms Jones said.
"I'm advised the insights gained from the US trip were used to inform the development of the Outback Queensland Masters, Australia's first outback golf tournament."
