A carbon price in Australia was probably inevitable, Queensland Resources Council chief Ian Macfarlane said in Brisbane as he addressed a business luncheon.

Mr Macfarlane, who served as resources minister in the Abbott-led Coalition government, said there was a view that carbon pricing was inevitable.

Queensland Resources Council chief executive Ian Macfarlane says a carbon price is probably inevitable. Credit:AAP

"Privately I think that's probably the case, that's something that's supported by a lot of industry in Australia," he told the Queensland Media Club lunch on Wednesday.

"Obviously there would need to be a transition to a carbon price, we have a clean energy target that runs for a period of time, then you understand that on the back of that there may be a carbon price."