It is strange that Queensland has never had a government owned or funded zoo. There are a few privately owned zoos within a few hours drive that punch above their weight. Both Wildlife HQ at the Big Pineapple and Darling Downs Zoo have a wider variety of exotic animals than Australia Zoo. Unfortunately, they don’t have the budget for marketing or for immersive exhibits, however, given the scale of these zoos, they sure do put in the effort to continually upgrade their facilities.
I’m all for Paradise Country becoming a zoo, as the whole Australian farm experience doesn’t really appeal to me. They could begin by holding more native species (echidnas, quokkas etc.) and then move onto adding more exotics. Species like capybara, tamarins would be on top of the list if I was in charge.