Every person in New South Wales should have access to health, education, reliable power and other essential services, regardless of which part of the State they live in.
The 2023-24 NSW Budget lays out the Minns Government’s long-term plan to rebuild essential services for the people of NSW, including addressing a recruitment and retention crisis.
We are committed to improving working conditions, stopping our frontline workers quitting and attracting more people to these vital roles.
Wages and workers
The Minns Labor Government has taken the first steps to respect and reward our frontline workers – including our nurses, paramedics, healthcare workers, police officers, fire fighters and prison guards.
The people who look after us, that we all rely on.
That started with ending the unfair wages cap and delivering a 4.5 per cent pay rise for more than 400,000 public sector employees in 2023-24 – the biggest pay rise in a decade.
Teachers will return to being the highest paid in the country, as Labor begins its long-term plan to address the chronic teacher shortage and lift education outcomes for our kids.
And the newly established Industrial Relations Taskforce will fulfil the commitment to establishing a new interest-based bargaining framework.
Essential Services Fund
A new $3.6 billion Essential Services Fund will be established to enable the Government to improve services by negotiating workplace changes.
The Fund reinforces the NSW Government’s commitment to a new bargaining approach by setting aside funds to support public service improvements and deliver wage growth for thousands of essential workers across the State.
This fund delivers on a key election commitment to reinvest in our frontline workers.
Health
We’re rebuilding essential health services with major investments in staff and infrastructure.
More than $2.5 billion will recruit and retain health workers, including the largest pay increase in more than a decade, plus new salary packaging benefits for more than 50,000 health care workers.
We’ve saved the positions of 1,112 essential nurses and midwives left unfunded by the previous government and begun the work to introduce Safe Staffing Levels.
We have invested in hundreds of new rural and regional paramedics and funded new scholarships for health care students.
The Essential Infrastructure Plan makes a significant investment of $13.8 billion in health facilities.
The NSW Government is investing a landmark $3 billion in the 2023-24 NSW Budget for new and upgraded hospitals across greater Western Sydney, one of the largest investments in Western Sydney health infrastructure in history.
This will include 600 new hospital beds across Western Sydney.
Expansions are funded for Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospital, plus Canterbury and Fairfield Hospitals.
We’ll rebuild Bankstown Hospital on a new site and there’s an additional $400 million to build the first brand new adult public hospital in Western Sydney in 40 years at Rouse Hill.
In Regional NSW, $3.8 billion will upgrade facilities in Ulladulla, Bathurst, Eurobodalla and Albury Wodonga.
There’s more than $100 million to boost essential health services for women, including 20 Women’s Health Centres, 48 new Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners and funding 29 additional McGrath Foundation breast cancer nurses.
Education
$9.8 billion over four years will be invested in essential education across our schools, TAFEs, and public preschools.
A record $3.5 billion will provide 24 new and 51 upgraded schools in Western Sydney.
There’s $1.4 billion for a pipeline of new and upgraded schools in regional NSW.
And $112 million will help meet the TAFE funding shortfall.
To begin addressing a recruitment and retention crisis, teachers are being respected with a four-year nation-leading pay deal.
We’ll move more executives back into classrooms and have converted 16,000 temporary teachers and support staff into permanent jobs.
The NSW Government will also attract 1,000 new apprentices by 2026.
Transport and Roads
A reliable, safe transport and road network is essential to connect people and to support much needed housing supply.
This Budget commits $72.3 billion to new and improved transport infrastructure statewide.
More than $1 billion will help put Sydney Metro City and Southwest back on track.
There’s $7.9 billion over four years to deliver the Sydney Metro to Western Sydney Airport and $302.7 million reserved for Rapid Buses to connect people in Penrith, Liverpool and Campbelltown to the new airport.
Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 will be expedited, while we’re upgrading train station car parks, building seven new Australian made Parramatta Class ferries and returning the iconic Freshwater Class ferries to the Circular Quay – Manly route.
A new $770 million Urban Roads Fund will focus on major metro roads.
While a new $390 million Regional Emergency Road Repair Fund will put money directly in the hands of local councils hit by natural disasters and weather events.
A separate new $334 million Regional Roads Fund will build new roads and restore damaged roads.
Energy
This Budget supports investment in ensuring a secure supply of clean, affordable electricity for New South Wales with a long-term energy investment plan and immediate, responsible energy bill relief for families.
A $1.8 billion investment will get the Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap back on track with the largest investment in renewable energy in New South Wales history.
This includes $804 million in investment to accelerate the rollout of critical transmission.=
The Budget also commits $1 billion to establish the Energy Security Corporation to drive investment in stable and affordable renewable energy.
And we’re investing $263 million to accelerate the delivery of critical electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure like charging stations to address the most significant barrier for the take up of EVs.
A foundation for a better and more secure future for NSW
This Budget begins a new era of responsible long-term investment to support NSW families and rebuild our essential services.
We are a government with a clear focus – managing our finances responsibly so we can provide support when you need it most and improve the essential services that we all rely on, now and into the future.
