The New Sout Wales 2023-24 Budget was handed down on the 19th September, 2023. This following the interim economic statement released in June.
Below are the budget highlights:
Rebuilding essential services
The NSW Government will establish a new $3.6 billion Essential Services Fund to enable the Government to improve services by negotiating workplace changes. This includes:
- Health
- $2.5 billion to recruit and retain healthcare workers
- $13.8 billion in health facilities
- $3.8 billion will support new and upgraded health facilities
- $100 million to support new essential services to increase women’s access to healthcare
- Education
- $20 million boost to the Innovative Teacher Training Fund to attract the best teachers
- $17.8 million to deliver the Community Languages Schools Program
- Transport and roads
- $770 million, including reserved funding, to establish an Urban Roads Fund to build major roads in metro areas
- $390 million Regional Emergency Road Repair Fund to provide funding certainty to regional councils damaged by recent weather events and natural disasters
- $334 million Regional Roads Fund to build new roads and restore damaged roads in rural and regional areas
- Rebuilding and protecting communities
- $3.2 billion through the Disaster Relief Account, which is eligible for co-funding from the Australian Government
- $99.9 million for the state-funded Resilient Lands Program
- $58 million for Flood Recovery Support for the Department of Customer Service
Cost-of-living support
- Energy
- More than 300,000 eligible businesses using less than 100 MWh of electricity per year that will receive a one-off $650 bill relief payment towards their electricity bill in 2023-24 under the Energy Relief Fund.
- A further $263.5 million will support an efficient and equitable roll out of electric vehicles (EVs). This investment will accelerate the rollout of EV infrastructure, addressing the most significant barrier for the take up of EVs.
- Communities
- $30 million for the Level the Playing Field Facilities Fund for new and upgraded facilities to empower women to participate in sport.
- $3 million to support community organisations in running significant events and festivals or delivering minor infrastructure projects to celebrate their cultural, religious, and linguistic diversity in New South Wales.
- $15 million for faith organisations to improve safety and security at religious institutions, including places of worship, schools, community centres, and buildings.
- $47.8 million for the Multicultural Communities Support Package which includes support for community language schools.
- $30 million for the creation Multicultural Capital Partnership Fund.
Budget papers can be found here.