Western Sydney is the fastest-growing and most diverse region of New South Wales. More than 2.65 million people live in the 13 Local Government Areas that make up Western Sydney 32.5 per cent of the population of New South Wales. More than 454,000 households comprise families with children, and 987,000 (37.9 per cent) people speak a language other than English at home.

Western Sydney is home to Australia’s largest urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, with 54,498 people or 2.1 per cent of the total population identifying as Aboriginal and/ or Torres Strait Islander in 2021.

This diversity and dynamism is reflected in the region’s businesses, economic output, and workforce. Western Sydney has more than 108,000 employing businesses and accounted for about one fifth of New South Wales’ gross state product in 2021-22.

Western Sydney accounts for 31.4 per cent of the State’s workforce. More than a quarter of the NSW Public Sector works in Western Sydney, the majority providing essential services to the community. The NSW Government is focused on rebuilding the essential services the people of Western Sydney rely on. Investment in a high-quality education system and world-class healthcare supports quality of life and greater workforce participation.

Removing the wages cap will provide essential workers (like teachers, health workers and police) a greater opportunity to negotiate pay and conditions, help attract more people to these professions, and address the retention crisis in our essential services.

The unemployment rate is historically low (sitting at just 4.1 per cent in Western Sydney), and economic activity in the State has expanded in 2022-23. However, the benefits of the increase in economic activity are not felt universally.

Western Sydney residents face acute challenges as a result of inflation and housing pressures. Since May 2022, the Reserve Bank of Australia has raised interest rates 12 times to 4.1 per cent. Consequently, the average new home loan repayment has increased by $17,300 a year. A typical dual-income household in Western Sydney would now need 34.6 per cent of their after tax earnings to service a new mortgage, up from 22.3 per cent before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Housing construction remains below the levels needed to reach the Housing Accord target. Between the start of 2020 and May 2023, house prices rose by 32.2 per cent in Western Sydney, and rents increased by 23.1 per cent, exacerbating cost-of-living pressures for Western Sydney residents.

Addressing the housing affordability crisis will require sustained effort for many years. The NSW Government is taking the first step to address housing related cost pressures with an initial package of housing and rental support measures that will support Western Sydney households.

In addition, we are delivering cost-of-living relief to the people of Western Sydney including through a significant toll relief program, expansion of energy bill relief for families and seniors, and an extension of fee relief to support the cost of preschool.

The NSW Government is committed to celebrating this great region by supporting communities and community infrastructure, from investing in our Multicultural Communities Support Package to delivering the new Powerhouse Museum in Parramatta.

We are committed to the successful opening of the Western Sydney International Airport in 2026 and the essential infrastructure necessary for this once-in-a-generation investment. We are completing Stage 1 of the Parramatta Light Rail, and investing in a responsible long-term plan to improve health, education and transport infrastructure and services across Western Sydney.

Through this Budget, we have prioritised a pipeline of upgrades and builds for hospitals, schools, transport, and housing across Western Sydney to ensure residents have better access to essential public services.

The people of New South Wales are facing a cost-of-living crisis. Over the past two years, prices for essentials have risen by 13.3 per cent.

Residents of Western Sydney are disproportionately affected. They earn $2,863 a year less than the Greater Sydney median and have a higher unemployment rate than the New South Wales rate.

This Budget delivers immediate support for Western Sydney residents to assist with the rising cost of living.

13.3%

rise in price of essentials over the past two years in New South Wales
 

$2,863

difference in annual wages between Western Sydney and Greater Sydney
 

34.6%

of net earnings required for a typical dual-income Western Sydney household to service a new mortgage

Toll relief

Over the past decade, Sydney has become one of the most tolled cities in the world. Communities in Western Sydney have been heavily impacted by the high concentration of toll roads and limited public transport options. The $615.0 million toll-relief program will support motorists as the NSW Government embarks on long-term toll reform to create a fair and equitable road network.

Average annual toll spend per non-business customer account by postcode in the 2020-21 financial year (Source: NSW Treasury and Transport for NSW, Toll Review, 2023.)

The Government is delivering on its commitment to introduce a $60 weekly toll cap, as part of New South Wales’ largest-ever toll relief program.

The two-year program will provide immediate relief through:

• a $60 weekly toll cap for private motorists from 1 January 2024, assisting more than 700,000 motorists
• a 33 per cent reduction in the truck toll multiplier on the M5 East and M8.

The NSW Government has commissioned an Independent Review of Sydney’s motorway network, led by Professor Allan Fels AO and Dr David Cousins AM. This review is underway and will investigate reform options to reduce costs to motorists and simplify the toll road system.

Household budgets will continue to face pressure from increasing tolls unless the road network is enhanced without handing over assets to the private sector.

$60

weekly toll cap for private motorists

700,000

private motorists state-wide will be assisted by the weekly toll cap

33%

reduction in the truck toll multiplier

Energy relief

The NSW Government is ensuring a secure supply of clean electricity for New South Wales with a long-term energy investment plan and immediate relief for families to manage the impact of rising energy prices.

The National Energy Bill Relief payment, introduced in July 2023 in partnership with the Australian Government, provides automatic payments of $650 for more than 300,000 small businesses and $500 for around 1.6 million eligible households towards their electricity bills over the coming year.

This Budget includes new funding to expand energy relief beyond 2023-24 to help families with crucial cost-of-living relief.

Energy bill relief will be extended from 1 July 2024 for families, seniors, and households struggling with the cost of living, with a major expansion of energy rebate schemes to help support households while long-term investment begins. This includes:

• increasing the Family Energy Rebate to $250
• increasing the Low-Income Household Rebate and Medical Energy Rebate to $350
• increasing the Seniors Energy Rebate to $250
• increasing the value for each equipment type up to $1,639 for the Life Support Rebate.

Housing affordability and availability is the single biggest pressure facing household budgets in New South Wales, with mortgage payments or rent the largest expense for most households.

People buying their first home will save up to $30,735 through an expanded First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme. An estimated 77 per cent of first home buyers in Western Sydney purchase a home for under $1 million and therefore benefit from the scheme.

Addressing the chronic shortage of housing requires a long-term plan. The $38.7 million Faster Planning Program, $224.0 million Essential Housing Package and $2.2 billion Housing and Infrastructure Plan will begin to address the historic neglect of new housing supply across New South Wales.

The NSW Government is also providing immediate support with the rental reform package.

The one-third of Western Sydney households who are renting have been given a voice through the appointment of a state-first NSW Rental Commissioner. The NSW Rental Commissioner will work with the Government to design and implement changes to make renting fairer, more affordable, and more secure.

The Government is also ensuring a fair deal for renters through the Portable Rental Bonds Scheme, protecting renters from unfair evictions by legislating reasonable grounds for ending a lease, and making it easier for renters to have pets in homes.

The Government has committed $24.0 million to establish a NSW Building Commission to support high-quality housing and protect home buyers from sub-standard buildings. The Government will amend the planning process to focus state-owned housing corporations on tackling the State’s housing crisis.

This will enable more social and affordable homes to be built faster, closer to jobs, and in places where people want to live.

The Government is establishing Homes NSW to deliver better outcomes for social housing tenants, deliver more affordable and social housing, and reduce homelessness in New South Wales.

The Government is supporting more housing supply by committing to set aside 30 per cent of surplus government land for social, affordable, and universal housing.

The Government is reprioritising its spending to provide the immediate support people need today while also investing in a long-term plan to rebuild essential services. This Budget includes a pipeline of upgrades and new builds for hospitals, schools, and transport to ensure Western Sydney residents have the access to the essential public services that they expect and deserve.

Improving health services

Everyone in New South Wales deserves world class healthcare. Data from the Bureau of Health Information shows that almost 53,000 patients presented to emergency departments across the Western Sydney Local Health District between April and June 2023. The data also reveals that these patients are facing long wait times in emergency departments, with just 42 per cent of patients starting their treatment on time.

To deliver better healthcare, we need to respect and reward nurses, paramedics, and healthcare workers in our hospitals and health facilities.

This Budget invests $419.1 million for an additional 1,200 nurses. It also commits $572.3 million over three years to enable 1,112 full-time equivalent nurses and midwives whose positions were funded temporarily to June 2024 to be made permanent. These commitments will improve the experience of nurses, midwives, and patients in the NSW health system.

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.

This Budget includes an additional $400.0 million for the expansion of the scope of the $700.0 million Rouse Hill Hospital development – the first brand-new adult public hospital to be built in Western Sydney in more than 40 years.

We will expand Fairfield Hospital to deliver more beds, increase the capacity of emergency and critical care services, and expand other hospital and community health services through an investment of $550.0 million.

The Nepean Hospital and Integrated Ambulatory Services (Stages 1 and 2) Upgrade will improve access to innovative, effective, and welcoming health services for people in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains, through an investment of $339.4 million over four years to 2026-27, as part of a broader $1.0 billion project.

Canterbury Hospital will undergo its first major development since 1998, at a cost of $350.0 million. We will also deliver additional beds at Blacktown and Mt Druitt Hospitals, through an investment of $120.0 million.

The redeveloped Liverpool Health and Academic Precinct will become a hub for innovation and medical research in southwestern Sydney, through an investment of $343.0 million over four years to 2026-27, as part of a broader $740.0 million project. The increased hospital capacity will be critical for meeting the needs of the growing population in Liverpool and the surrounding communities.

We will deliver additional clinical services at Macarthur as part of the Campbelltown Hospital Redevelopment Stage 2: Mental Health and southwest Paediatric Service through an investment of $53.5 million in 2023-24, as part of the broader $632.0 million redevelopment.

The additional clinical services at the Macarthur site, which are currently coming online, will deliver enhanced paediatric and mental health capacity, improve pedestrian and vehicle access, and provide more local employment opportunities.

The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Stage 2 Redevelopment will ensure that the hospital continues to be a world leader in providing paediatric services for children locally and across the State, through an investment of $454.4 million over four years to 2026-27, as part of a $619.0 million project.

The Integrated Mental Health Complex at Westmead will enable mental health services currently located at Cumberland Hospital West Campus to relocate to a new, purpose-built facility in the Westmead Health Precinct, connected to Westmead Hospital, through an investment of $409.0 million over four years to 2026-27, as part of a $460.0 million project.

We have allocated $25.0 million to plan for the redevelopment of the Blue Mountains Hospital.

The New Bankstown Hospital will also support the growing population of the southwestern Sydney region, through an investment of $1.3 billion.

The Government is addressing declining education outcomes exacerbated by teacher shortages. The 2023-24 Budget begins the long-term rebuilding of our education system.

We are investing in permanent literacy and numeracy tutoring programs in primary and secondary schools through a $278.4 million state-wide investment, and providing 250 additional school counsellors across New South Wales to support students with mental health needs or disabilities, to improve wellbeing and reduce disruption in classrooms.

This Government is investing in secure jobs to increase retention rates and to help address the teacher shortage crisis.

We are converting 16,000 teachers and support staff across New South Wales schools from temporary to permanent positions. Since 2 May 2023, more than 3,000 teachers and support staff in Western Sydney public schools have accepted offers to transition to permanent employment.

We are investing $3.5 billion in Western Sydney over the next four years to modernise existing school assets, build new schools, and provide the public preschools that our growing communities need. This significant investment includes:

• new primary schools including in the Carter Street precinct (near Sydney Olympic Park), Gables, Nirimba Fields, Tallawong, Westmead South, Gregory Hills, and Melonba
• new high schools including in Melrose Park, Schofields-Tallawong, Jordan Springs, Leppington, Gledswood Hills/ Gregory Hills, Melonba, Edmondson Park, and Wentworth Point
• upgrades to primary schools across Western Sydney including Cambridge Gardens Public School, Greenway Park Public School, Dalmeny Public School, Darcy Road Public School, Dundas Public School, Kingswood Public School, Leppington Public School, Melrose Park Public School, Northmead Public School, Parramatta East Public School, Punchbowl Public School, Schofields Public School, and Telopea Public School
• upgrades to high schools across Western Sydney including Birrong Boys High School and Birrong Girls High School, Cecil Hills High School, Cumberland High School, Condell Park High School, Eagle Vale High School, Katoomba High School, Northmead Creative and Performing Arts High School, Rouse Hill High School, Sir Joseph Banks High School, and The Ponds High School.

A plan is being developed to deliver additional new and upgraded schools in fast-growing areas, backed by an audit of enrolment growth across New South Wales.

The Budget also includes an investment of $11.9 million in 2023-24 for the new Institute of Applied Technology for Construction at the TAFE NSW Nepean-Kingswood campus, which will provide specialised training in fields like construction, carpentry, electrical, and plumbing.

We are addressing the teacher shortage crisis in our public schools by recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers through a historic pay rise and moving more executives back into the classroom.

The four-year pay agreement is a nation-leading investment in our 95,000 teachers across the state. It will ensure our children are taught by teachers who know that their contribution is valued.

The Government will provide a range of support for multicultural communities.

The Multicultural Communities Support Package, a $47.8 million investment, includes:

• establishing the Premier’s Prevention Panel on Racism and Extremism, with representatives from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, faith communities, and NSW Government agencies, to develop a whole-of-government response to the growing safety concerns of these communities in New South Wales
• a new $30.0 million Multicultural Capital Partnership Fund to deliver community infrastructure projects, partnering with multicultural organisations
• creating a Multicultural Youth Network platform to advise agencies on matters affecting young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
• a $17.8 million investment in community languages schools to make learning a language more affordable and accessible.

The Government is providing additional funding to keep places of worship safe. A commitment of $15.0 million for faith organisations will improve safety and security at religious institutions including places of worship, schools, community centres, and buildings.

This Budget also includes funding for 20 additional police officers for Western Sydney, to keep our community safe.

This Budget commits $4.4 million over three years to establish a new specialist multicultural domestic and family violence centre in southwest Sydney. The centre will provide a holistic and culturally appropriate response to domestic and family violence.

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land now called Western Sydney, including the Darkinjung, Dharawal, Dharug and Gundungurra peoples. We acknowledge the many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from around Australia who now call Western Sydney home.

Western Sydney is home to Australia’s largest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander urban population, with 54,498 people or 2.1 per cent of the total population identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in 2021. Penrith, The Hills, and Wollondilly local government areas have the highest proportions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents.

The NSW Government is committed to supporting Western Sydney’s growing community of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and to genuine reconciliation. We have allocated $5.0 million to undertake a 12-month consultation process with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, including in Western Sydney, to inform a Treaty process in New South Wales.

We are progressing the 28 co-developed Closing the Gap initiatives, developed in partnership with the NSW Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations, and delivered with local communities across the state at a cost of $131.4 million.

We are reaffirming our commitment to delivering the recommendations of the Upper House Committee on the Stolen Generations Survivors as set out in the Unfinished Business report with a further $3.4 million.

We are continuing to support housing options for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including those living in Western Sydney, through the delivery and maintenance of social and affordable housing through the Aboriginal Housing Office.

The Government is protecting the natural environment and supporting Western Sydney communities to be more resilient through improved disaster preparedness.

This Budget invests in new and upgraded facilities and technology in emergency services, with $11.5 million for Fire and Rescue NSW infrastructure to improve community safety and emergency services in Western Sydney. This includes investments in new stations at Busby and Wentworthville, with planning continuing for a new station at Marsden Park.

We will improve critical communications infrastructure through the Western Sydney Floods Resilience Plan, delivering four mobile cells on wheels to increase the resilience of critical communications infrastructure during natural disasters through an investment of $11.3 million.

We are delivering the Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan to protect biodiversity in Western Sydney, with an additional $103.6 million over two years to 2024-25.

We are protecting koalas and their habitat, improving the care of koalas, and ensuring koalas continue to live in southwest Sydney, through an $80.6 million investment, including the following measures:

• the Georges River National Park will receive $48.2 million to protect one of the largest koala populations in metropolitan Sydney
• three koala-friendly crossings will be delivered at a cost of $26.7 million to improve the connectivity of koala habitat along Appin Road and ensure the sustainability of koalas in southwestern Sydney
• a Koala Care Centre in the Macarthur region will receive $5.7 million to support koala rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation in the Georges River area.

The Government recognises the vibrancy of the Western Sydney business community, including the 103,529 employing small businesses, and the economic potential of the region.

Through the Government’s Small Business Package, we will permanently make outdoor dining a permissible activity across all NSW council areas, including in Western Sydney. Businesses will be able to submit a shorter development application to their local councils, saving time, and money.

In addition, the NSW Business Bureau and Small Business Charter will assist small businesses to manage their needs, including help to navigate regulations and processes, seeking support through government grants and initiatives, and to grow their small business.

This Budget will support grassroots arts and culture, with Western Sydney businesses, the creative industries, and the night-time economy set to benefit.

One of the first decisions of the incoming Government was to allocate $1.5 million to Culture Up Late in Western Sydney to drive visitation to Western Sydney CBDs. In this Budget we are investing $26.8 million in 2023-24 to support the Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner, whose work includes funding precincts in Parramatta, Lakemba, and Blacktown.

We are also allocating $31.2 million in 2023-24 for contemporary music, including developing a Music Scene Plan, establishing Sound NSW, and a venue support plan. This work will support Western Sydney businesses and the pipeline for creative talent and workers.