- Budget delivers real cost-of-living relief
and housing in the Goldfields-Esperance region
- Investments to support Kalgoorlie drive future
economic opportunities
- Cook Labor Government to invest $9.5 billion
in infrastructure throughout regional Western Australia over the next four
years
- More
than $4 billion delivered through Royalties for Regions Program
- Budget
includes $150 million investment in local vanadium battery for
Kalgoorlie
- Cook Labor Government's committed to
delivering jobs, health, education, creating safe and inclusive communities,
and protecting and restoring WA's environment
The Cook Labor Government
is delivering for the Goldfields-Esperance region in the 2026‑27 State Budget
through investments in health, housing, and jobs for the region, while providing
significant cost-of-living relief for families.
Regional Western Australia
has been central to the economic success of the State for generations and
building strong regional cities in Western Australia is vital to unlock the
next wave of opportunities.
Seven regional cities,
including Kalgoorlie, will drive delivery of new economic opportunities across the
State. In particular, the development of large-scale renewables will mean we
can make more things here, export embedded renewable energy in WA products, and
realise opportunities in space, data centres, and emerging technologies like artificial
intelligence. The seven cities are Kalgoorlie, Broome, Karratha, Port Hedland,
Geraldton, Bunbury, and Albany.
Kalgoorlie must be ready
to seize these new economic opportunities, which requires housing,
infrastructure, and services to support growth, so it can attract and retain
families and skilled workers.
It must also be capable
of servicing surrounding communities and industries, which is what this Budget
will deliver with housing a key priority.
The following initiatives
will help unlock and deliver more land supply, build new homes, and assist first
home buyers get into the market in Kalgoorlie and throughout the Goldfields:
- $1.6
billion for the construction and refurbishment of more than 1,800 social and
affordable dwellings, 500 homes for first home buyers, land acquisition, and
maintenance;
- participation in the Commonwealth's 100,000
Homes for First Home Buyers program, supporting the delivery of 11,000
dwellings over eight years reserved exclusively for first home buyers;
the delivery of 113 homes for regional
frontline workers in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, in partnership with Western
Australia's resources industry as part of its Seven Cities vision for regional
WA;
- $250 million Keystart Pre‑sale
Guarantee and $250 million First Home Buyer Commercial Financing
Facility to help developers meet pre‑sale thresholds and support more
apartment and affordable homes project for first home buyers to get off the
ground sooner;
- $297
million tax package to support first home buyers and boost housing supply,
including first homeowner duty concessions, increased first homeowner grant
cap, and an extension of the off-the-plan transfer duty concession;
- $127 million top-up to the Remote Communities Fund to deliver additional
housing investment, undertake municipal works, and support essential
infrastructure and services in remote Aboriginal communities;
- $50 million top-up to the Regional
Housing Support Fund, increasing the fund's value to $75 million. The fund
provides grants to support local housing and residential subdivision projects
in regional WA;
- $48 million to boost modular housing and
apartment construction capacity via investment in advanced manufacturing
facilities in Kwinana and Neerabup. The facilities are expected to provide
prefabricated housing and infrastructure to regional WA; and
- $6.2 million to roll out the Housing
First Support Service in Kalgoorlie.
Real cost-of-living
relief will be delivered to Western Australians living in the Goldfields-Esperance
region through a range of initiatives that provide financial support for
households, with the government committing $198 million for a $100 Fuel
Support Payment available to those with a valid driver's licence.
A further $89.5
million will be invested to deliver a third round of the Western Australian
Student Assistance Payment, which will provide $150 for each primary and
kindergarten student and $250 for each secondary school student - including for
the families of around 10,300 students in the Goldfields-Esperance region.
Other
cost-of-living relief measures funded as part of this Budget include:
- $36.4 million for to provide free public
transport for school students, including for Transregional services in
Kalgoorlie and Esperance;
- $35 million for a 10 per cent uplift in the
value of the Energy Assistance Payment, Dependent Child Rebate, and Air
Conditioning Allowance;
- $16 million to extend Energy Ahead, helping
Western Australians who are experiencing financial stress to improve their
energy efficiency and save on their power bills;
- $14.5 million to establish a new Foster and
Grand Carer Gold Card, offering concessions
to carers providing a stable home and support to children and young people in
out‑of‑home
care arrangements;
- $13.5 million to extend the WA Rent Relief
Program; and
- ongoing support for the
Regional Airfare Zone Cap Scheme to keep airfares capped and affordable for
eligible regional residents amid increasing fuel costs.
The Cook Labor Government's
vision is to diversify WA's nation-leading economy so that it remains the
strongest in the nation will be secured in the Goldfields-Esperance region through
the following investments as part of the 2026-27 State Budget.
Improved power
reliability will be delivered through a $150 million investment in the Vanadium
Battery Energy Storage System, which will also support the region's burgeoning
vanadium industry.
Other investments
include:
- $973 million for Western Power to respond to
demand growth, expand the network, and increase electricity capacity
infrastructure for industrial and residential customers;
- more than $150 million in loans to manufacturers to improve energy
efficiency and invest in advanced manufacturing equipment as part of the Made
in WA Energy Affordability Investment Program;
- $124 million for lower fee and fee-free TAFE
in 2027, including at the Kalgoorlie campus;
- $113.5 million for road maintenance across
WA;
- $33.1 million contribution to the nationally
co-ordinated Fuel Excise Relief Program, and a further $4.5 million for the deferral
of heavy vehicle fee increases, supporting industry in the Goldfields-Esperance
region;
- $30 million to top‑up the Investment Attraction
Fund for a second round of grants through the New Energies Industries Funding
Stream;
- $18 million to deliver Aboriginal tourism
initiatives under the Jina: Western
Australian Aboriginal Tourism Action Plan 2026-2030;
- $15 million in loans to support WA's nickel
mining industry; and
- $1.4 million to deliver a second round of the
Small Business Growth Grants program.
The 2026-27 State Budget
will ensure all regional Western Australians can access the healthcare they
need, when they need it, through the following investments:
- $294 million additional investment in regional
health infrastructure;
- $214 million for an uplift to WA Health's State-wide
maintenance programs;
- $143 million for additional investment in
medical equipment and imaging replacement program throughout WA;
- $68.6 million for the WA Country Health Service for
regional palliative care, renal care, cancer and eye services, and continued
support programs;
- $49.8 million for the State's investment in the
Child Development Services System Reform Program;
- $43.8 million for a funding uplift for existing
community mental health and alcohol and other drug services;
- $29.7 million for and expand suicide prevention
initiatives;
- $27.1 million for the free flu vaccine, FluMist,
and RSV immunisation programs; and
- $4.1 million to expand the Enhanced Access
Community Pharmacy Pilot project.
Quality infrastructure
and services will also be supported through the Budget with the following
investments to bolster schools throughout the Goldfields-Esperance region:
- $310 million uplift in funding to
support students with disability at public schools;
- $219 million boost to school maintenance,
benefiting schools in the Goldfields-Esperance region;
- more than $100 million for targeted maintenance and minor works projects across WA, which
includes work on roofs, hardcourts, and toilets, as well as additional investment in the
Schools Clean Energy Technology Fund and works at Kalgoorlie Primary School;
- $41.1 million to fully fund the commitment of 61 minor upgrade projectsincluding at Kambalda West District High School and Norseman District
High School;
- $45.8 million to fully fund our commitment
to Cool the Schools through air-conditioning upgrades, which includes Kalgoorlie
Primary School and Leonora District High School; and
- $15.7 million to expand access to training
and support for staff working with students with disability.
The Cook Labor Government
will continue building safe and inclusive communities so that all Western
Australians feel secure at home and at work through the following investments:
Protecting and
restoring WA's environment so future generations can continue enjoying its
economic and lifestyle benefits will be secured with the following investments:
- $52.9 million
to establish a Regional Water Source Fund for water source planning and
investigation in regional Western Australia;
- $24.7
million for biosecurity and animal disease preparedness activities;
- a further $8.5 million towards the Fisheries Support Package, including funding for an enhanced science program and
upgrades to the FishCatchWA app; and
- $16
million for the Minerals Research Institute of WA to implement clean energy and
emissions research.
For more information, visit ourstatebudget.wa.gov.au
Comments
attributed to Premier Roger Cook:
"Whether you live in
Kalgoorlie or the towns and remote communities throughout the
Goldfields-Esperance region, this Budget delivers for Western Australians and
keeps WA strong.
"Our regions have been central to WA becoming the strongest economy in
the nation and will be critical to our future economic success.
"That's why this Budget will help seize the big job-creating projects in
regional WA, with investments in the economic infrastructure needed to expand
our Seven Cities as hubs to provide quality services to the towns and remote
communities within their regions."
Comments
attributed to Regional Development Minister Stephen Dawson:
"The Cook Labor Government is investing in the Goldfields
Esperance region to support strong local economies, quality frontline services
and more jobs opportunities.
"From health and housing to roads and cost-of-living
measures, our government is working to deliver projects and outcomes that make
a real difference in our regional communities
"Whether people live in one of our Seven Cities, a small
town or a remote community, this government is committed to delivering for
regional WA."
Comments
attributed to Goldfields-Esperance Minister David Michael:
"The
Cook Labor Government is focused on making meaningful investments in the
Goldfields-Esperance region through this year's State Budget.
"This
Budget prioritises support that matters to residents most, including targeted
cost-of-living relief, investment in Government Regional Officer Housing, and more funding for local schools and hospitals."
Comments
attributed to Kalgoorlie MLA Ali Kent:
"This
State Budget shows that the Cook Labor Government understands the important
role the Goldfields Region plays in keeping the WA economy the strongest
economy in the nation.
"I'm
pleased we're also easing pressure on households with practical cost-of-living
support, while investing in more homes so the Goldfields has the workforce and
capacity it needs to grow into the future."
