By Mike CrooksWednesday 19 Jun 2024NewsReading Time: 4 minutes
Social housing wins big in the NSW government’s 2024-25 Budget.
Key Points:
- The NSW government will spend $5 billion+ constructing thousands of homes.
- The budget provides $527 million to emergency housing and support services.
- Treasurer Mookhey said the budget marked the beginning of a long process to improve the lives of all NSW residents.
The NSW government will spend more than $5 billion on constructing thousands of homes under the scheme.
Half of those homes will be for women and children escaping domestic violence.
It’s NSW’s biggest ever investment in public housing.
In the budget, the government is also targeting: GP visits, transport in Western Sydney, and rental properties.
“Helping families is our most important mission during NSW’s worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation,” said NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey while delivering his second budget.
Here are Hope 103.2’s highlights of the 2024-25 NSW Budget:
More housing
The Minns government will deliver up to 30,000 new homes as part of the budget.
“Housing affordability and availability is the biggest single pressure facing the people of NSW,” read a joint statement by Premier Chris Minns and Treasurer Mookhey.
As part of the plan, 8,400 homes will be built under the Labor government’s $5.1 billion social housing scheme.
The NSW government will spend $5 billion+ constructing thousands of homes.
Further, $1 billion will be spent repairing more than 35,000 existing public housing homes.
“Homes for the next generation”
There’s also a boost for housing for essential workers, with $650 million to be given to build-to-rent programs, and rural and regional accommodation for essential workers.
Essential workers include nurses, paramedics, allied health care workers, teachers, police officers and firefighters.
And $200 million will be spent on accommodation for regional health workers, in a scheme to keep those people living in the communities where they work.
“The program we fund today directly supports 30,000 new homes – more homes for key workers to rent, more homes for the next generation,” Mr Mookhey said.
The homeless
With homelessness on the rise, the budget provides $527 million to emergency housing and support services.
Homelessness has risen during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
“We’re investing in homelessness services and properly funding crisis accommodation, so if you’re struggling, we can find you a safe place to sleep while building homes to tackle long-term homelessness,” a NSW Government statement read.
Bulk-billing
With less medical centres using bulk-billing, patients, on average, are paying more to see their GP.
To combat this, the NSW government will now reward any Sydney medical centres that bulkbill more than 80 per cent of their patients. (In other areas of NSW, the threshold will be 70 per cent.)
In a scheme that will cost $189 million over four years, the reward will involve a payroll tax rebate.
The budget provides $527 million to emergency housing and support services.
According to the Guardian, the policy has been welcomed by the Australian Medical Association, which believes the scheme will help struggling practices stay open.
“This gives GPs across NSW certainty that they can continue to operate … without fear of being hit with a huge tax bill that will shut them down,” the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ Rebekah Hoffman said.
Renter relief
To tackle poor rental properties and dodgy landlords, the government is establishing a NSW Rental Taskforce to help deliver its plan “to build better communities and a fairer rental market”.
“An $8.4 million investment into the work of the Rental Commissioner will deliver investigators, inspectors and support teams to engage with renters, target dodgy agents and act on serious breaches of rental laws,” a government statement read.
Western Sydney
The budget also includes the $2 billion cost of the second stage of the Parramatta Light Rail.
The 14-stop stage goes from Parramatta’s CBD to Sydney Olympic Park.
The stage includes 8.5 kilometre walking and cycling paths.
New airport roads
The new Western Sydney International Airport at Badgerys Creek will get $1 billion for roads that will link to the site.
“Our investment in roads in this region, in lockstep with the Federal Government, will provide industry the assurance to co-invest and get development moving,” Mr Mookhey said.
“We are transforming and building the roads and the jobs will follow.”
New schools
The government also revealed it will provide $8.9 billion in funding for building new schools and upgrading existing schools.
More than 60 new schools will be built in Western Sydney.
Treasurer Mookhey said the budget marked the beginning of a long process to improve the lives of all NSW residents.
“All children in NSW deserve the best possible start to life, through access to quality teaching and essential school infrastructure,” a government statement read.
“The NSW Government is delivering on its election commitment to build 100 new public preschools across NSW, with half to be built in the regions.”
“We make progress”
Treasurer Mookhey said that this year’s budget marked the beginning of a long process to improve the lives of all NSW residents, and to begin tackling the many challenges of these trying times.
“In this budget, we continue with our plans to bust the wages cap, reform tolls, back first home buyers, build new and better public schools and hospitals, speed up the renewables revolution, rebuild rural and regional roads, help small businesses, and wrangle debt back under control,” he said.
“In each Labor budget, we make progress.”
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Article provided with thanks to Michael Crooks. Michael is a senior journalist and former news editor of Who magazine. His work has appeared in People, Marie Claire, The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, news.com.au, Qantas magazine, QantasLink Spirit, Who and The New Daily.
Feature image: Photo by CanvaPro