Mr Dick would be replaced by Tourism Industry Development minister Kate Jones on Tuesday as the lead minister for the final 15 months of the $28 million economic transition strategy.

This followed a Fairfax Media report on Sunday in which petitioners cited poor communication about the 23 North Stradbroke Island projects chosen to replace the $55 million in revenue from mining company Sibelco as the island transitions from sand mining to tourism.

More than 8000 people have signed a petition calling for more information about the transition process and a planned whale-watching centre at Point Lookout on the island.

Doubts have emerged that projects will be finished in time. Of the 23 projects, only two were yet completed: development of a Quandamooka Festival and upgrades to North Stradbroke camping grounds.

On Tuesday Mr Dick confirmed the change, saying the decision had beeen made because Minister Kate Jones's Tourism portfolio was best-placed to help the 23 projects.

"My department has undertaken a review of project responsibility to determine which government agencies are best placed to lead the implementation phase of projects related to the Minjerribah Economic Transition Strategy," a statement read.

“We want the ETS to be a success, and that’s why we have now allocated associated projects to the portfolios where the skills and capability sit best to drive these important projects forward," he said.

“As the majority of the 23 ETS initiatives relate to tourism, the Minister for Tourism Industry Development is best placed to lead these projects, and will now be responsible for leading the ETS.

“This approach has been agreed to by all Ministers involved in managing the future of North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah), including Minister Jones, Minister Fentiman, Minister Lynham and myself.”

There was no mention of delays, communication problems or the pace of the economic transition.

Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said Labor had bungled North Stradbroke Island's economic transition from sand mining.

"The transition strategy is a disgrace. Cameron Dick has failed Straddie and deserves the sack," Ms Frecklington said.

“The clock is ticking on the remaining sand-mining jobs, but just two of the 23 projects in Labor’s strategy have been completed.

“Hard-working Queenslanders are being thrown on the scrapheap by their own government, including many from the island’s indigenous community.”

The Indigenous land title holders, the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation (QYAC), were leading 11 projects, Redland City Council was leading a signage project and the Queensland government leading the remainder.

Redland City mayor Karen Williams said the situation badly needed to change.

“At the minute we have four different ministers, four different departments and not always talking to each other,” Cr Williams said.

“Information comes out on various technical issues sporadically and there is no information for the community to understand, so they just make it up.”

Until Monday afternoon Mr Dick, Deputy Premier Jackie Trad, Ms Jones, Natural Resources Minister Anthony Lynham and Small Business Minister Shannon Fentiman – who represents Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch, a Quandamooka woman – were involved in the strategy.

Cr Williams said two of the ministers in August told her privately “more needed to be done” and that “we badly need to get more communication to the community”.

“Credit to them, they agreed they needed to become far more active in this space,” Cr Williams said.

She said the communication issue was complex because there were two confidential land-use agreements in place between QYAC and the Redland City Council, and QYAC and the Queensland government.

“We are unable to discuss the detail of it, so we are kind of in limbo,” she said.

“The Quandamooka opportunities for the island are fantastic. I am excited about them.

“But we have to bring the local community on the journey,” she said.

Cr Williams said transport, cash-only bus services and signage were all poor on North Stradbroke Island and inadequate for overseas tourists.

North Stradbroke Island had a population of about 2200, but the population almost doubled during holidays.

About 150 small businesses on the island derived at least 30 per cent of their income from Sibelco, Oodgeroo LNP MP Mark Robinson said.

Mr Robinson agreed sand mining must leave North Stradbroke Island, but said it was “being rushed for political reasons, for inner-city lefties”.

He was critical of the impact on Indigenous workers on the island, saying it worsened their job prospects.

About one-third of Sibelco’s workers were Quandamooka people.

He said bigger projects on North Stradbroke Island must be brought forward by boosting the $28 million for the economic transition to $100 million.

“We need to get some bigger drivers going, like the redevelopment of Dunwich Harbour,” he said.

“The onus is really on the government to fix this, because it is really falling into a hole.”

Cr Williams and Mr Robinson both called on the Queensland government to hold the next community cabinet on North Stradbroke Island, to “show the people they cared”.

A spokesman from the Department of the Premier said on Monday night there were “no plans at present” for cabinet to meet on the island.

Mr Robinson suggested some larger infrastructure and accommodation projects could be financed by public-private partnerships, which meant money could over time be returned to government.

He said tourism development needed to scale up to “five Tangaloomas” to provide the equivalent revenue generated by Sibelco, though he said it was not necessarily the best plan for the island.