QUEENSLAND is blocking law changes aimed at ensuring a daughter of the House of Windsor can become Queen of Australia ahead of her younger brothers.

The state backs alterations to the royal succession to make it gender free. But it wants to pass its own legislation and not defer to Commonwealth powers.

And it is standing alone against what has to be a unanimous decision. And if the impasse is not sorted out, the unanimity of all Commonwealth member nations needed to change the current laws might not be reached.

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman today was the hold-out leader at the Council of Australian Governments meeting in Canberra.

"I don't think there are any issues about the changes being contemplated,'' Mr Newman said.

But he said there were "some different ways we can do it''.

"Queensland has a view that others don't agree with,'' he told reporters.

The plan had been for states and the federal government to agree to a process which would allow for succession regardless of gender; remove the bar on succession for a person who marries a Catholic; and limit the requirement for the Monarch's consent to the marriage of a descendant of King George II to the first six persons in line to the throne.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the Commonwealth's "very loud and very clear'' legal advice was that there one Crown in Australia, represented by the Governor-General and state governors.

Ms Gillard said the most effective legal way to deal with the succession matter was state pass legislation referring to the Commonwealth the ability to make the changes.

"For that to be a legally effective process, all states have to do it. If one state doesn't do it then it doesn't work,'' said the Prime Minister.

"We are continuing some discussions in that regard.''

Only Queensland has declined to refer the powers.

Premier Newman said: "Our view is that we will pass legislation in accordance with our position as a separate sovereign state. We're a federation of states. We are going to do it the right way, the proper way.''

He said he was being true to his own legal advice and the decision of his cabinet.

"And it can be done the way we are saying and it achieves the outcome,'' he said.

The COAG meeting backed broad Federal Government proposals which by 2014 could see power bills cost $250 a year less that they would without the changes.

West Australian Premier Colin Barnett questioned the possible savings, arguing the money would come off future electricity bill increases rather than reduce the bills.

But Prime Minister Gillard could not get any other state apart from NSW to sign on as full partners for creation and funding of a National Disability Insurance Scheme.

All states did agree to share the findings of pilot schemes to be run in NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT.













