A plan to maximise the long-term economic growth and "liveability: of Queensland's regions has been released by the State Government, with Far North Queensland identified as a key region in the strategy.

Premier Anna Bligh, Deputy Premier Paul Lucas and Minister for Regional Economies Tim Mulherin launched the Queensland Regionalisation Strategy this week calling it "a bold vision for a stronger state."

Ms Bligh said the strategy highlights the essential role of Queensland regional areas to cater for future population growth.

"Our vision builds on the traditional strengths of each region and encourages people and businesses to consider the advantages of other regions outside the heavily populated south-east," Ms Bligh said.

"By 2031 another 2.5 million people are expected to call Queensland home, from 4.5 million to 7 million, and the average age of the population will continue to rise.

"We can't stop population growth but, in consultation with the community, we can manage it in a controlled way so all Queenslanders benefit."

The Queensland Regionalisation Strategy aims to ease improve the economic links within regional cities and towns.

"The strategy details 31 proposed actions to sustain long-term growth, encourage workers to the regions, support new business investment and improve partnerships between governments," Ms Bligh said.

These include an integrated Queensland freight strategy, new energy opportunities, more local skills training aimed at regional needs, and better regional relocation opportunities.

The regions identified, which include Far North Queensland, are linked to six "economic zones" which include:

• agriculture
• minerals corridors
• coal and energy corridor
• gas corridor
• tourism corridor
• tropical expertise

"The QRS highlights that Queensland needs to expand beyond its traditional strengths of agriculture, minerals, tourism and coal," Minister Mulherin said.

'We'll promote and develop tropical expertise in North Queensland and FNQ while also aiming to become a new Liquefied Natural Gas hub for the Asia-Pacific."

Cairns Regional Council Mayor welcomed the new strategy and said that Far North Queensland has a lot to offer other tropical locations around the world.

"We're really behind that (the Queensland Regionalisation Strategy). It actually covers most things that we're interested about in this region.

"The skills and capability that people have developed by living in the tropics, that's skills in agriculture such as new uses for banana fibre and sugar fibre, reef and rainforest research, has worldwide applications.

Cr Schier said that products that are developed in our region have the potential to be commercialised and sold to the 2.5 billion people that live in the tropics.

One example is a cooling vest to be used by firefighters around the world - an innovation from JCU.