NSW Labor government commits $202million to help improve the lives of Aboriginal Australians and close the gap
The 2025/26 NSW Budget, to be handed down on Tuesday, will allocate $202million to Closing the Gap initiatives to help improve the lives of Aboriginal Australians.
This investment will be delivered partnership with Aboriginal organisations and communities, to achieve more targeted and tangible outcomes for Aboriginal people across health, education, employment, criminal justice, and economic development.
The funding includes $20million for Aboriginal-led, culturally safe programs that support Aboriginal adults and children leaving custody, aiming to reduce reoffending.
It also includes $13.4 million for the NSW Aboriginal Legal Service and the Department of Communities and Justice to reduce the over-representation of Aboriginal children in the criminal justice system through Aboriginal-led solutions.
An additional $17.9 million will support Aboriginal organisations, such as Local Aboriginal Land Councils, to acquire and activate land - such as through rezoning - to unlock economic opportunities.
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris said the Labor Government has maintained a strong focus on delivering real outcomes for Aboriginal people.
'Delivering on Closing the Gap and creating a more equitable state, where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, is not only the right thing to do; it builds a better NSW by strengthening our society, economy, culture and communities.'
The budget will also allocate nearly $80 million to position NSW as the best place to innovate, attract investors, and scale businesses.
NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey says his third budget declares the state is 'open for business' to help expand its $900 billion economy.
'There is a global race for capital ... and we want NSW at the front of that race.'
The state has a world-leading workforce and offered businesses stability and connection to global industries, Mr Mookhey told reporters on Monday.
'What we want to add now is the confidence for businesses to get on and make the big calls to sign off on the $1 billion-plus investments that drive growth,' he said.
Housing affordability would remain a major issue but supporting business confidence was a major factor to boost jobs and wages and address unaffordability, Mr Mookhey said.
'We're pretty determined to get the balance right,' he told AAP in the lead-up to the budget.
'There's a lot of opportunity and a lot of ambition in NSW, and the changes we're making are designed to hold on to what we love.'
The government will duplicate efforts to speed up planning, with an Investment Delivery Authority to receive almost $18 million.
Similar to the Housing Delivery Authority which started in December, the four-person panel will override councils and accelerate planning approvals for businesses amid complaints making major investments in NSW is too complex and time-consuming.
Other funding announced on Monday includes $38.5 million for Australia's largest technology and innovation hub, Tech Central, and $20 million for emerging technology commercialisation to help boost growth in the housing and energy sectors.
In 2024, NSW accounted for 65 per cent of Australia's venture capital investment, and hosts five out of eight 'unicorn' companies - privately-held start-ups valued at over $1 billion.
Major projects to be considered by the new panel may include hotels, data centres, renewable energy projects and commercial developments.
Too many major projects from the private sector were getting bogged down in red tape, Premier Chris Minns said.
'It's costing us high-paid, high-skilled jobs in our modern economy, and something has to change,' he told reporters on Monday from data centre operator NextDC's facility in Sydney's north.
NextDC chief executive Craig Scroogie said the announcement would help the company move on its $15 billion investment pipeline.
'The planning system was never designed to move at the speed that technology is moving, let alone the speed that artificial intelligence is changing the way we live and work every day,' he told reporters.
'This is a global opportunity for Australia to be a leader in artificial intelligence and large-scale infrastructure, and it needs modern planning systems to be deployed.'
NSW LABOR GOVERNMENT BUDGET PLEDGES
TRANSPORT:
* $452 million to increase bus services, including $56 million to buy 50 new 'bendy' buses and $150 million for more regular school bus services in outer Sydney and regional areas
* Road upgrades and new signage around Western Sydney Airport precinct totalling $80 million
EDUCATION:
* $9 billion across four years for public school infrastructure, largely focused on growing suburban communities, including three new public primary schools with attached public preschools in west and southwest Sydney
* $3.4 billion towards TAFE and upskilling, including $40 million to enable 23,000 construction students to complete their apprenticeships for free
HEALTH:
* Another $700 million towards construction of the $2 billion Bankstown Hospital and relocation of Bankstown TAFE
* A statewide pathology hub to be established at Westmead, with the $492 million investment to include an upgrade to a high-security lab researching dangerous pathogens such as Ebola and measles
* $23 million to cut down the overdue surgery list by 3500
* $83 million to bolster maternity care
ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS:
* $202 million for Closing the Gap projects, including $23 million towards community-led suicide prevention programs
LAW AND ORDER:
* $125.8 million for cybersecurity upgrades to NSW Police, including $50 million to upgrade outdated hardware
* Victims' Support Service funding boosted by $227 million across five years to help victims of violent crime access counselling
* Upgrade of Downing Centre to create 15 new physical and virtual courtrooms and $48.3 million to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for more solicitors
HOUSING:
* $145 million across four years for the state's Building Commission to hire more prosecutors, investigators and inspectors to weed out dodgy residential builds
* $30.4 million crisis intervention package for homelessness services
* Extension of build-to-rent tax concessions beyond slated 2039 end date
INNOVATION AND BUSINESS:
* $80 million in innovation funding, including $38.5 million to boost technology hub TechCentral
* A four-person Investment Delivery Authority to fast-track planning approvals for billion-dollar projects
ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC SPACES:
* $110 million to maintain public spaces, including the repair of heritage-listed Pyrmont Bridge and maintenance of fire trails
* Construction of the Newcastle Logistics Precinct, housing wind turbines and electrical transformers used in renewable energy projects, for $115.5 million
* Commonwealth Veteran Card holders will receive free vehicle entry to all NSW National Parks
CULTURE:
* Establishment of a $100 million fund to find a suitable location for a second major film studio in Sydney
* $280 million to support the screen and digital games sector, including rebates for NSW-based visual effects and digital games productions
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