Big-spending budget raises questions over living relief
Major infrastructure, homes and health have received funding injections as the nation's richest state splashes its cash to combat growing global instability.
But critics say there should have been a sharper focus on cost-of-living relief as residents continue to grapple with utility price pressures.
Western Australian Treasurer Rita Saffioti's second budget on Thursday delivered a $2.5 billion windfall for the state for the financial year, with a further $2.4 billion surplus projected for 2025/26.
It's the state's seventh consecutive operating surplus, which the Cook government says will help WA diversify and set its economy up for the future.
"This budget is being handed down at a time when the geopolitical situation has been turned on its head," Ms Saffioti told reporters.
"We have unprecedented tariff policies coming out of the US, while the worsening conflict in the Middle East is creating significant uncertainty in global markets."
Ms Saffioti said the budget aimed to "fortify" WA against global shocks, invest in economic infrastructure and set the state up for a future with plenty of jobs.
The Labor government's measures include $2.7 billion to bolster economic growth and create jobs, with a focus on local manufacturing.
Health and mental health services will receive $1.4 billion to increase the number of doctors and nurses and bolster infrastructure, creating more hospital beds.
A further $1.8 billion has been allocated to education and training to build more schools, upgrade others, and support regional learning, and the financial blueprint also includes an additional $1.4 billion spend to boost housing supply.
Almost $1 billion has been carved out for cost-of-living relief, including residential battery rebates and no-interest loans, and reduced public transport fares.
Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas said more should have been done to assist West Australians doing it tough after the government scrapped temporary electricity bill rebates for households.
"The cost of water is up, the cost of electricity is up, the cost of the emergency services levy is up ... the cost of putting your car on the road has risen," Mr Zempilas said.
"This is a budget for the big end of town."
Net debt is expected to grow to $33.5 billion at the end of the current financial year, $1.1 billion more than forecast in December, and expand to $42.4 billion over the forward estimates.
The state is expected to stay in the black with operating surpluses between $2.4 and $2.8 billion predicted over the next four years.
Economic growth is forecast to be 2.5 per cent in the year ahead, with 0.5 per cent expected in 2024/25 and 3 per cent in 2026/27.
Ms Saffioti said WA was the most resilient state in the nation and remained its economic powerhouse, with manageable debt levels.
The market for WA's key commodity, iron ore, also remained strong, along with domestic consumption and the jobs market, but global impacts on international trading partners could be significant in the future, she said.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA said the government was putting its strong economic performance to good use by investing in local manufacturing and economic infrastructure.
The budget was also praised by the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA and the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, which welcomed a focus on infrastructure spending and diversification efforts.
But the WA Council of Social Service said the government was underinvesting in the community.
"This budget lacks the investment in social infrastructure that is critical to a growing community," acting chief executive Rachel Siewert said.
Shelter WA said the budget missed an opportunity to solve the state's worsening housing and homelessness emergency.
"We needed an ambition at ten times this level," chair Kieran Wong said.
The WA Greens said the infrastructure spending was in all the wrong places, instead of investment in genuine reform and targeted relief to help people struggling to make ends meet.
Major infrastructure, homes and health have received funding injections as the nation's richest state splashes its cash to combat growing global instability.
But critics say there should have been a sharper focus on cost-of-living relief as residents continue to grapple with utility price pressures.
Western Australian Treasurer Rita Saffioti's second budget on Thursday delivered a $2.5 billion windfall for the state for the financial year, with a further $2.4 billion surplus projected for 2025/26.
It's the state's seventh consecutive operating surplus, which the Cook government says will help WA diversify and set its economy up for the future.
"This budget is being handed down at a time when the geopolitical situation has been turned on its head," Ms Saffioti told reporters.
"We have unprecedented tariff policies coming out of the US, while the worsening conflict in the Middle East is creating significant uncertainty in global markets."
Ms Saffioti said the budget aimed to "fortify" WA against global shocks, invest in economic infrastructure and set the state up for a future with plenty of jobs.
The Labor government's measures include $2.7 billion to bolster economic growth and create jobs, with a focus on local manufacturing.
Health and mental health services will receive $1.4 billion to increase the number of doctors and nurses and bolster infrastructure, creating more hospital beds.
A further $1.8 billion has been allocated to education and training to build more schools, upgrade others, and support regional learning, and the financial blueprint also includes an additional $1.4 billion spend to boost housing supply.
Almost $1 billion has been carved out for cost-of-living relief, including residential battery rebates and no-interest loans, and reduced public transport fares.
Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas said more should have been done to assist West Australians doing it tough after the government scrapped temporary electricity bill rebates for households.
"The cost of water is up, the cost of electricity is up, the cost of the emergency services levy is up ... the cost of putting your car on the road has risen," Mr Zempilas said.
"This is a budget for the big end of town."
Net debt is expected to grow to $33.5 billion at the end of the current financial year, $1.1 billion more than forecast in December, and expand to $42.4 billion over the forward estimates.
The state is expected to stay in the black with operating surpluses between $2.4 and $2.8 billion predicted over the next four years.
Economic growth is forecast to be 2.5 per cent in the year ahead, with 0.5 per cent expected in 2024/25 and 3 per cent in 2026/27.
Ms Saffioti said WA was the most resilient state in the nation and remained its economic powerhouse, with manageable debt levels.
The market for WA's key commodity, iron ore, also remained strong, along with domestic consumption and the jobs market, but global impacts on international trading partners could be significant in the future, she said.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA said the government was putting its strong economic performance to good use by investing in local manufacturing and economic infrastructure.
The budget was also praised by the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA and the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, which welcomed a focus on infrastructure spending and diversification efforts.
But the WA Council of Social Service said the government was underinvesting in the community.
"This budget lacks the investment in social infrastructure that is critical to a growing community," acting chief executive Rachel Siewert said.
Shelter WA said the budget missed an opportunity to solve the state's worsening housing and homelessness emergency.
"We needed an ambition at ten times this level," chair Kieran Wong said.
The WA Greens said the infrastructure spending was in all the wrong places, instead of investment in genuine reform and targeted relief to help people struggling to make ends meet.
Major infrastructure, homes and health have received funding injections as the nation's richest state splashes its cash to combat growing global instability.
But critics say there should have been a sharper focus on cost-of-living relief as residents continue to grapple with utility price pressures.
Western Australian Treasurer Rita Saffioti's second budget on Thursday delivered a $2.5 billion windfall for the state for the financial year, with a further $2.4 billion surplus projected for 2025/26.
It's the state's seventh consecutive operating surplus, which the Cook government says will help WA diversify and set its economy up for the future.
"This budget is being handed down at a time when the geopolitical situation has been turned on its head," Ms Saffioti told reporters.
"We have unprecedented tariff policies coming out of the US, while the worsening conflict in the Middle East is creating significant uncertainty in global markets."
Ms Saffioti said the budget aimed to "fortify" WA against global shocks, invest in economic infrastructure and set the state up for a future with plenty of jobs.
The Labor government's measures include $2.7 billion to bolster economic growth and create jobs, with a focus on local manufacturing.
Health and mental health services will receive $1.4 billion to increase the number of doctors and nurses and bolster infrastructure, creating more hospital beds.
A further $1.8 billion has been allocated to education and training to build more schools, upgrade others, and support regional learning, and the financial blueprint also includes an additional $1.4 billion spend to boost housing supply.
Almost $1 billion has been carved out for cost-of-living relief, including residential battery rebates and no-interest loans, and reduced public transport fares.
Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas said more should have been done to assist West Australians doing it tough after the government scrapped temporary electricity bill rebates for households.
"The cost of water is up, the cost of electricity is up, the cost of the emergency services levy is up ... the cost of putting your car on the road has risen," Mr Zempilas said.
"This is a budget for the big end of town."
Net debt is expected to grow to $33.5 billion at the end of the current financial year, $1.1 billion more than forecast in December, and expand to $42.4 billion over the forward estimates.
The state is expected to stay in the black with operating surpluses between $2.4 and $2.8 billion predicted over the next four years.
Economic growth is forecast to be 2.5 per cent in the year ahead, with 0.5 per cent expected in 2024/25 and 3 per cent in 2026/27.
Ms Saffioti said WA was the most resilient state in the nation and remained its economic powerhouse, with manageable debt levels.
The market for WA's key commodity, iron ore, also remained strong, along with domestic consumption and the jobs market, but global impacts on international trading partners could be significant in the future, she said.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA said the government was putting its strong economic performance to good use by investing in local manufacturing and economic infrastructure.
The budget was also praised by the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA and the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, which welcomed a focus on infrastructure spending and diversification efforts.
But the WA Council of Social Service said the government was underinvesting in the community.
"This budget lacks the investment in social infrastructure that is critical to a growing community," acting chief executive Rachel Siewert said.
Shelter WA said the budget missed an opportunity to solve the state's worsening housing and homelessness emergency.
"We needed an ambition at ten times this level," chair Kieran Wong said.
The WA Greens said the infrastructure spending was in all the wrong places, instead of investment in genuine reform and targeted relief to help people struggling to make ends meet.
Major infrastructure, homes and health have received funding injections as the nation's richest state splashes its cash to combat growing global instability.
But critics say there should have been a sharper focus on cost-of-living relief as residents continue to grapple with utility price pressures.
Western Australian Treasurer Rita Saffioti's second budget on Thursday delivered a $2.5 billion windfall for the state for the financial year, with a further $2.4 billion surplus projected for 2025/26.
It's the state's seventh consecutive operating surplus, which the Cook government says will help WA diversify and set its economy up for the future.
"This budget is being handed down at a time when the geopolitical situation has been turned on its head," Ms Saffioti told reporters.
"We have unprecedented tariff policies coming out of the US, while the worsening conflict in the Middle East is creating significant uncertainty in global markets."
Ms Saffioti said the budget aimed to "fortify" WA against global shocks, invest in economic infrastructure and set the state up for a future with plenty of jobs.
The Labor government's measures include $2.7 billion to bolster economic growth and create jobs, with a focus on local manufacturing.
Health and mental health services will receive $1.4 billion to increase the number of doctors and nurses and bolster infrastructure, creating more hospital beds.
A further $1.8 billion has been allocated to education and training to build more schools, upgrade others, and support regional learning, and the financial blueprint also includes an additional $1.4 billion spend to boost housing supply.
Almost $1 billion has been carved out for cost-of-living relief, including residential battery rebates and no-interest loans, and reduced public transport fares.
Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas said more should have been done to assist West Australians doing it tough after the government scrapped temporary electricity bill rebates for households.
"The cost of water is up, the cost of electricity is up, the cost of the emergency services levy is up ... the cost of putting your car on the road has risen," Mr Zempilas said.
"This is a budget for the big end of town."
Net debt is expected to grow to $33.5 billion at the end of the current financial year, $1.1 billion more than forecast in December, and expand to $42.4 billion over the forward estimates.
The state is expected to stay in the black with operating surpluses between $2.4 and $2.8 billion predicted over the next four years.
Economic growth is forecast to be 2.5 per cent in the year ahead, with 0.5 per cent expected in 2024/25 and 3 per cent in 2026/27.
Ms Saffioti said WA was the most resilient state in the nation and remained its economic powerhouse, with manageable debt levels.
The market for WA's key commodity, iron ore, also remained strong, along with domestic consumption and the jobs market, but global impacts on international trading partners could be significant in the future, she said.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA said the government was putting its strong economic performance to good use by investing in local manufacturing and economic infrastructure.
The budget was also praised by the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA and the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, which welcomed a focus on infrastructure spending and diversification efforts.
But the WA Council of Social Service said the government was underinvesting in the community.
"This budget lacks the investment in social infrastructure that is critical to a growing community," acting chief executive Rachel Siewert said.
Shelter WA said the budget missed an opportunity to solve the state's worsening housing and homelessness emergency.
"We needed an ambition at ten times this level," chair Kieran Wong said.
The WA Greens said the infrastructure spending was in all the wrong places, instead of investment in genuine reform and targeted relief to help people struggling to make ends meet.
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