Shadow local government minister, Howard Hobbs, said if elected to government, the Liberal National Party recognised more funding was needed for the local council to help manage the island, but not to take them over entirely.

"The Southern Moreton Bay Islands are really an issue by themselves, I've always said the plan is the islands should remain with local government, and that's LNP policy," Mr Hobbs said.

"In 2001, I remember we had a policy for the Southern Moreton Bay Islands, which offered about $67million to help with island sewerage, infrastructure and roads sealing. The package was about $100million to assist the council overall, but we didn't win government and the money was lost, but I'm still very sympathetic to giving financial assistance to the council for island progress."

In September, Mr Dowling said the islands should be removed from Redland City Council, after islander outrage over the council's proposal to bring in paid parking at the Weinam Creek ferry terminal in Redland Bay.

"I believe SMBI needs to be removed from the planning scheme and treated as a special planning area to address the issues specific to island communities," he told parliament.

"Redland City Council is ill equipped and unable to fund the considerable infrastructure required. It is also beyond its purview to approve or consider what are rightly State Government responsibilities."

But Mr Hobbs said if elected to government, as local government minister that would not be their policy.

"As a former mayor myself, I have always placed more emphasis on the role of councils that state governments in planning, there should be state input but it's ultimately the role of the council to direct the planning of an area," he said.

Mr Hobbs also met with Redland City councillors during his visit and discussed the 2030 Visioning Project and the council's plans for meeting projected population growth.