Families and cost of living

• Roughly 720,000 motorists will be able to claim back spending above $60 on the state’s toll roads, at an estimated cost of $551 million over two years.
• Spending on the Active and Creative Kids vouchers will be slashed from $190 million to $28 million, and vouchers reduced from $100 to $50. It will only be available for families who are on the Family Tax Benefit Part A.
• The government will lift the Low Income Household Rebate and Medical Energy Rebate from $285 to $350; the full rate Family Energy Rebate from $180 to $250; and the Seniors Energy Rebate from $200 to $250.

What you should know: While the government will give motorists a break and charge Opal commuters weekend prices on Fridays, Opal fares will be increased across the network. Meanwhile, parents of three-year-olds in long daycare preschool programs will receive $500 per child, per year, in fee relief.

Transport and infrastructure

• The Transport Asset Holding Entity (TAHE), a state corporation with billions of dollars worth of the state’s rail assets, will have its for-profit status removed at a cost of $384 million across four years.
• The government will spend an average of $29.1 billion each year on infrastructure over the next four years, a similar level to the previous government.
• $2.4 billion will be spent over four years for western Sydney roads and $302 million set aside for a Western Sydney Rapid Bus Network.

What you should know: The fast-tracked transition of TAHE to a non-commercial corporation comes after the Minns government was told it would have to inject more than $600 million to prop up the scandal-ridden entity if it remained a state-owned corporation. While the government has made efforts to tighten its belt, it has maintained its focus on connecting western Sydney to more transport options including $7.9 billion to deliver the Sydney Metro-Western Sydney Airport.

Environment and energy

• Coal royalties will increase over the next financial year for the first time in 15 years, which is expected to raise $2.7 billion.
• The government will invest $4 billion in natural disaster support including restoring damaged infrastructure, and $121 million to prepare communities for natural disasters.
• $1.8 billion will be invested in critical transmission and energy storage solutions including $1 billion in a new Energy Security Corporation for investment in long-duration energy storage. The state will scrap a $300 subsidy for new electric vehicles, with some savings to be invested in more charging stations.

What you should know: NSW faces the challenge of ensuring electricity supply remains reliable as it transitions away from coal generation. The budget will inject an additional $804 million into a Transmission Acceleration Facility aimed at connecting the state’s renewable energy zones to the grid sooner.

Health

• About $3 billion will be invested across four years in western Sydney hospitals, of which $1.3 billion will be spent on building the Bankstown-Lidcombe hospital.
• There will be an additional 1200 nurses at a cost of $419 million; healthcare students will be offered 12,000 scholarships worth $4000 a year if they make a five-year commitment to staying in public health; and $572 million will be set aside to fund permanent positions for more than 1100 nurses and midwives hired during the pandemic.
• Regional and remote NSW will receive 500 extra paramedics at a cost of $438.6 million.

What you should know: In an effort to stem the exodus of nurses, doctors and paramedics from the public system, the NSW government has invested in staff retention measures including a $3500 flat pay rise for health workers. It has also aimed to improve access to healthcare through investments in western and regional NSW, as well spending $100 million on women’s health. Overall, the government expects to spend $13.8 billion for hospitals and health facilities over four years.

Education

• Western Sydney will get 24 new and 51 upgraded primary and high schools for $3.5 billion over four years.
• The government aims to save $1.4 billion across four years through measures including reduced spending on communications contractors and management consultants, with the same amount being spent on 19 new and 35 upgraded schools in regional NSW.
• There will be an additional 100 preschools and $278 million for permanent literacy and numeracy tutoring programs in primary and secondary schools.

What you should know: A new $3.6 billion essential services fund will aim to improve services in education and health, partly through delivering higher wages for essential workers. It has also focused on increasing available early childhood education places, with another $1.6 billion set aside for expanded preschool fee relief. Overall, it expects to increase spending on schools and education facilities to $9.8 billion over four years.

Community and arts

• The $500 million rebuild of the Powerhouse Museum at Ultimo will be scrapped for a $250 million “heritage revitalisation” and at least a dozen arts, cultural and innovation programs – which were left unfunded by the former Coalition government – will be stripped of nearly $190 million in funding.
• The state’s out-of-home care system, which supports 15,000 vulnerable children in foster and kinship care will receive $200 million.
• $350 million will be invested in regional industries, Aboriginal economic development, community development and service delivery through the new NSW Regional Development Trust Fund.

What you should know: Several cuts have been made to programs as the government aims to repair the budget deficit and prioritise areas including health and education. However, it has maintained spending on initiatives such as $131 million on progressing 28 Closing the Gap initiatives, $380 million on measures aimed at improving gender equality and $3.9 billion for support people with a disability.