McGowan Government driving jobs and opportunities in regions

The McGowan Government is delivering its plan for regional Western Australia, with funding in the State Budget delivering vital, job-creating infrastructure while boosting health and community services.

The 2019-20 State Budget includes $4.2 billion in Royalties for Regions funding across regional WA. More than $5.6 billion will be invested in regional infrastructure over the next four years.

The McGowan Government is investing more than $2 billion on regional roads over the next four years, creating new jobs across the State. The Budget includes a major increase in job-creating regional infrastructure, including:

• $852 million for the Bunbury Outer Ring Road;
• $175 million for the Albany Ring Road;
• $310 million for the ongoing construction of Karratha-Tom Price Road;
• $87.5 million to upgrade Great Northern Highway from Broome to Kununurra
• $51 million towards the Ringer Soak and Northern Minerals Access Road in Browns Range;
• $275 million for the Bindoon Bypass along Great Northern Highway;
• $18 million to upgrade Great Eastern Highway from Walgoolan to Southern Cross;
• $87.5 million for the Wheatbelt Secondary Freight Route;
• $8.9 million to upgrade capacity at Port of Bunbury Berth 8;
• $5.9 million to purchase a new harbour crane to improve operational efficiency and safety at Broome Port;
• $40 million to upgrade the Coolgardie to Esperance Highway;
• $27.5 million for Stage One Pinjarra Heavy Haulage Deviation;
• $6.9 million to upgrade Shed 4 at the Port of Esperance;
• $19.3 million to upgrade Broome Senior High School;
• $3.6 million to upgrade firefighting infrastructure at the Port of Geraldton; and
• $32 million to build the Mandurah Station car park; 

The McGowan Government is delivering on its commitment to drive job creation in regional Western Australia. The Budget includes funding to boost tourism and support important, job-creating programs in the regions including:

• $131.5 million of additional expenditure to support agriculture in WA, grow export markets and create long-term jobs including $39.6 million for the Boosting Biosecurity Defences, Asian Market Success and Grains Research and Development support programs (in addition to $45 million for Grains Research and Development in the 2018-19 Budget);
• $19.9 million for the extension of the Regional Arts and Cultural Investment program;
• $60.1 million for the Collie Industry Attraction and Development Fund, including $8 million for a new DFES multipurpose facility in Collie;
• $2 million to establish a national park in the Helena and Aurora Range as part of Plan for Our Parks;
• $10 million to establish visitor and operations infrastructure at the Houtman Abrolhos Islands National Park as part of ‘Plan for Our Parks’;
• $388,000 for land management activities and capacity development for the Gibson Desert Nature Reserve;
• $7 million to build and operate a state-of-the-art marine finfish nursery facility in Geraldton;
• $10 million for the Collie Adventure Trails initiative, as part of the Collie Industry Attraction and Development Fund;
• $1.33 million towards the Murujuga Living Knowledge Centre and Tourism Precinct at Conzinc Bay;
• $24.1 million in ongoing funding for the ‘WA Open for Business’ program to promote export opportunities for regional businesses;
• $1.6 million for the Revitalising Geographe Waterways Program;
• $2.5 million of additional spending to reopen the Gascoyne Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre;
• $2.5 million for development of visitor facilities in the Greens Pool-Elephant Rocks precinct;
• $1.9 million for the Fitzroy River Management Plan;
• $1 million for the Dampier Peninsula project;
• $10 million to support development in the Ord;
• $12 million injection to Tourism Western Australia to expand promotion of WA overseas;
• $18.7 million State-wide for the Aboriginal Rangers Program to provide jobs looking after State parks and protected areas;
• $182.4 million for a new Employer Incentive Scheme and training delivery, including $45 million for regional WA. The scheme will help WA employers with the costs of employing apprentices and trainees;
• A 12-month extension for Utah Point pricing relief to support junior iron ore miners in the region; and
• $671,000 for the Withers Urban Renewal Project, including toilet and changing facilities at Des Ugle Park, and a new road from Minninup Road to Jacaranda Crescent. 

The Budget includes funding for important health care initiatives and projects right across regional Western Australia:

• $42.5 million in additional State-wide funding for the Methamphetamine Action Plan, including:
• $20.1 million for the North West Drug and Alcohol Support Program to reduce the harm caused by alcohol and other drugs in the Kimberley, Pilbara, and Mid-West;
• $9.2 million towards the development of a comprehensive alcohol and other drug youth service in the Kimberley – fulfilling an election commitment;
• $2.3 million for four low medical withdrawal beds in the Kimberley;
• $914,000 to increase training for Aboriginal staff in Alcohol and other Drug (AOD) services.
• $11 million for the continued planning for the redevelopment of Bunbury Hospital;
• $8.6 million to support the Karlarra House residential aged care facility in Port Hedland;
• An additional $5 million to build the new 38-bed residential aged care facility in Carnarvon, bringing the total budget allocation to $16.6 million;
• $13.8 million for specialist services as part of the Pilbara Health Initiative, to enable patients to be treated closer to home;
• $1.3 million for the construction of a renal unit at the Newman Health Service, which will house four renal dialysis chairs and supporting infrastructure;
• $13.1 million to construct a facility as part of establishing radiotherapy services at Albany Health Campus;
• $6.3 million for the Kalgoorlie Health Campus Magnetic Resource Imaging suite;
• $8.1 million for suicide prevention programs; and
• $1 million for the Kimberley Mobile Dialysis Unit.   

The McGowan Government is committed to delivering community services to people across regional WA. The Budget includes:

• $11.3 million to support and expand sustainable service delivery of PCYCs across the State to reduce juvenile offending and improve community safety;
• $34.6 million for the roll-out of personal issue mobile smart tablets for police officers;
• $15.4 million towards the roll-out of personal issue multi-threat body armour to frontline police officers;
• $4.8 million for enhanced driver training and education for regional and remote communities;
• $1.2 million new funding package to tackle elder abuse, including $460,000 to continue funding the WA Elder Abuse Helpline;
• $12.3 million for fortifying fencing between male and female prisoners at Greenough prison, in response to 2018 riot;
• $1.4 million for planning to build a new Broome Regional Prison, located outside of the town;
• $6.9 million to pilot ‘ServiceWA’ as a face-to-face and online service delivery to improve access to government transactional services, with the pilot site to be created in Bunbury;
• $11.7 million for two Family and Domestic Violence Hubs;
• $6.5 million for the Aboriginal Community Connectors program to improve community safety, and reduce community consequences of Alcohol and Other Drugs and related ‘at risk’ behaviours;
• $900,000 to deliver the Kimberley Juvenile Justice Strategy to find alternatives to detention and services aimed at diversion;
• $280,000 for the Jawun Partnership Agreement;
• $5 million for Indigenous Land Use Agreements as part of Plan for Our Parks;
• $1.3 million for the West Kimberley Youth and Resilience Hub Project; and
• $1.1 million for Kimberley Family Violence Service to continue to assist in responding to family and domestic violence. 

For more 2019-20 State Budget information, visit

As stated by Premier Mark McGowan:

“The McGowan Government is continuing its strong investment in regional WA, to create jobs and provide local families with the services they need.

“This Budget highlights our commitment to support projects that will create jobs and provide a boost to the local economy in communities across regional WA.

“Since coming to Government in 2017, we have worked hard to bring the Budget back under control while delivering important improvements to vital services like health and education across regional WA.

“We will continue to implement our plans for regional WA to support job creation, grow the local economy and support families in the regions.”

As stated by Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan:

“Our Government recognises the vast potential of regional Western Australia and we are getting on with the job of delivering jobs, economic diversification and important community services to the regions.

“This Budget delivers new funding for agriculture, tourism, cultural programs and critical port and road infrastructure, as part of our commitment to driving the best economic outcomes for regional Western Australians.

“Our $4.2 billion Royalties for Regions investment is delivering important projects, programs and infrastructure to strengthen our regional communities and economies.”