- 2023-24 State Budget to continue supporting safe, strong and fair communities
- $1.3 billion to help improve the lives of people living with disability
- $346 million to protect vulnerable children, families and individuals
- $47 million to strengthen response and recovery from natural disasters
- $440 million to fight crime and enhance community safety
- $24.3 million to continue supporting programs for at-risk young people
The McGowan Government is investing significantly to continue supporting safe, strong and fair communities.
The 2023-24 State Budget includes major investments that will protect vulnerable children, families and individuals, support people with disability, enhance community safety, and support our regions, including improvements to natural disaster response and recovery.
The McGowan Government is continuing its strong investment to protect vulnerable children, families and individuals, with the 2023-24 State Budget featuring:
- $52.5 million for a range of family and domestic violence initiatives, including increased funding for refuge services and support for FDV Response Teams and FDV hubs in Broome, Mirrabooka and Kalgoorlie;
- $31.1 million to continue delivering the Aboriginal Community Connectors Program; and
- $19.6 million to progress reform of out-of-home care services.
The 2023-24 State Budget delivers a record investment to support Western Australians living with disability, with $1.3 billion over the next four years allocated to support ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants, bringing WA’s total expected contribution to the NDIS to $1.3 billion in 2023-24.
The McGowan Government will invest $47 million to strengthen WA’s ability to respond and recover from natural disasters, including:
- $24.4 million to enhance the Department of Fire and Emergency Services’ ability to provide support following a natural disaster;
- $13.4 million to fund a taskforce which will manage and support recovery in the Kimberley in the wake of flooding caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie; and
- $9.2 million to aid community recovery and build resilience in communities impacted by Severe Tropical Cyclone Seroja.
The funding is on top of several hundred-million-dollar support packages for those impacted by the Kimberley Floods, which have been secured under the joint Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, including funding temporary residential accommodation and a freight assistance scheme to support Kimberley businesses.
A further $440 million will be invested to fight crime and enhance community safety, including:
- $11.7 million to extend Operation Regional Shield to continue to combat youth offending in the regions;
- $81.7 million towards the State’s Emergency Services Radio Network upgrades;
- Rolling out new mobile point-to-point safety cameras;
- Fulfilling the McGowan Government’s commitment to put an additional 950 police on our streets;
- $9.5 million to co-locate WA Police and the departments of Communities and Justice in Kununurra;
- $10.4 million to support continued rollout of the Banned Drinkers Register; and
- $18.9 million to continue supporting legal services, including $9.5 million for Community Legal Services and $9.4 million to increase funding for Legal Aid WA private practitioners.
The 2023-24 State Budget continues to build the McGowan Government’s support for at-risk young people, including:
- $11.7 million to extend the Target 120 program across all locations to 30 June 2025, taking total investment in the early intervention program to $43.3 million;
- $11.8 million for the Kimberley Juvenile Justice Strategy to support night patrols, structured activities, TAFE alternative learning program and the bail support program; and
- $810,000 to extend the South-West End-to-End Young Driver Training Program to help disadvantaged young people get their driver’s licence.
The 2023-24 State Budget includes funding for Western Australia’s inaugural Seniors Strategy, with $2 million allocated to support implementation and help ensure seniors achieve better life outcomes.
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As stated by Child Protection; Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence and Community Services Minister Sabine Winton:
“This Budget continues our record investment in initiatives to prevent family and domestic violence, including to establish the Family and Domestic Violence Hub in Broome – the fourth in WA – as well to continue the great work being done to support victim-survivors at our FDV hubs in Mirrabooka and Kalgoorlie.
“We continue to prioritise addressing community safety and supporting at-risk young people, by extending our successful Target 120 program to mid-2025 across all locations. The results of this program speak for themselves and it’s important we continue to support this great work.
“Our Government also continues to recognise the importance of community-led initiatives like the Aboriginal Community Connectors Program.
“Programs like this work, because they’re led on the ground by locals with strong existing connections to the community and build on those relationships to help make a difference in people’s lives.”
As stated by Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson:
“We know that natural disasters are becoming more severe and more frequent in Western Australia.
“That’s why we’re investing in programs that will build resilience and recovery capability across the State.
“This funding will mean communities are better able to bounce back from extreme weather than ever before.”
As stated by Police Minister Paul Papalia:
“The McGowan Government has already introduced some of the toughest laws in the country to cut crime and help keep the community safe.
“This budget reinforces our commitment to get more police on the frontline, while giving them the tools they need to stamp out criminal activity.
“We’re investing more than ever before to fight crime, by putting more high-tech eyes on our roads, getting illegal firearms off our streets and putting more police officers on the beat.”
As stated by Attorney General John Quigley:
“Community Legal Centres (CLCs) play a critical role in improving access to justice for members of our community who are unable to navigate the legal system.
“The McGowan Government is committed to supporting vulnerable community members with their legal needs and that’s why this budget reflects the continuation of funding for CLCs in order to maintain their capacity to respond to the demand for their services.
“Legal Aid WA continues to play a critical role in our community by providing legal assistance services to people experiencing disadvantage, delivering these services via a mixed service model, using both in-house lawyers and private practitioners.
“In recognising the valuable contribution made by these private practitioners, the Government has committed additional funding of $9.4 million over four years to increase the hourly rate paid to them by Legal Aid WA for State legal matters.”
As stated by Seniors and Ageing and Disability Services Minister Don Punch:
“The McGowan Government remains committed to improving the lives of Western Australians, with significant investments in this year’s budget to support our regional communities, our seniors, and people with disability.
“Thousands more Western Australians are benefiting from the McGowan Government’s continued record support of the NDIS, and our investment aims to further improve the lives of those living with disability, as well as their families and carers.
“We’re investing $2 million to support the implementation of the inaugural State Senior’s Strategy, which will make the WA Government even more responsive to the needs of seniors across the State.”
Child Protection, Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence and Community Services Minister’s office – 6552 6100
Seniors and Ageing and Disability Services Minister’s office – 6552 6900
