What’s happening?
Central Queensland has stepped up as a leader in the state-wide 10,000 Steps program, logging almost 749 million steps in 2024. The program, delivered by CQUniversity and supported by Health and Wellbeing Queensland, has been renewed for another two years with a share of more than $43 million in government funding.
Why it matters
More than half of Australian adults are not meeting physical activity recommendations. Programs like 10,000 Steps encourage movement and healthier lifestyles, reducing preventable diseases and easing pressure on Queensland’s health system. As Health and Wellbeing Queensland Chief Executive Dr Robyn Littlewood said, “Prevention isn’t a quick fix — it takes commitment, partnership, respect and time — but we are seeing results that I’ve never seen reported anywhere else in Australia.”
Local Impact
In Central Queensland, 1002 residents logged an average of 757,237 steps each through the 10,000 Steps website or app in 2024. This strong local uptake reflects the program’s reach in regional communities. Long-time participant Alison Moody has been using the program since 2003 and has tracked more than 86.7 million steps. “I’ve been using 10,000 Steps to track my steps for 22 years now. It’s just part of my day,” Alison said.
By the numbers
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749 million steps logged by Central Queensland participants in 2024, the state’s leading tally.
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757,237 steps each on average were logged by 1002 users in the region.
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352,000 Queenslanders have taken part in Health and Wellbeing Queensland prevention programs since 2021.
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138,578 downloads of the 10,000 Steps app between July 2021 and June 2024.
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678 new organisations including workplaces and community groups have signed up.
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44,406 Queenslanders have set a daily step goal, with 4 in 10 achieving 10,000 steps per day.
Zoom In
Program manager Anetta Van Itallie said 10,000 Steps continues to motivate people across the state through step-counting tools, online challenges, workplace and community campaigns. Professor Corneel Vandelanotte, CQUniversity’s Physical Activity Research Group Leader, called the funding milestone significant: “With this latest new funding, it means the program will be around for at least a quarter of a century. That is an amazing feat for any health promotion program.”
Zoom Out
10,000 Steps is one of six preventive health programs supported with renewed funding, alongside Deadly Choices, My health for life, Queensland Association of School Tuckshops’ Healthier Tuckshops Program, QCWA Country Kitchens, and Life Ed Queensland. The prevention push is backed by Queensland Government’s $43 million investment through Health and Wellbeing Queensland. Additional programs, including Podsquad, A Better Choice, Pick of the Crop, and Clinician’s Hub, further extend support for healthy habits across communities.
What to look for next?
Queenslanders are encouraged to connect with these programs through the Health and Wellbeing Queensland website or by searching for their preferred program online. As Dr Littlewood said, “When we invest in prevention, as the Queensland Government has done with Health and Wellbeing Queensland, we change futures. Fewer people need treatment, our world-class health system can focus where it’s needed most, and more Queenslanders live healthier, longer lives.”
