- Budget delivers real cost-of-living relief
and housing in the Great Southern region
- Investments to support Albany 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
- $60 million to be invested in expanding the
Albany Health Campus
- Cook Labor Government 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 Great Southern 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 Albany, 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 artificial intelligence processing.
The seven cities are Albany, Broome, Karratha, Port Hedland, Geraldton,
Kalgoorlie and Bunbury.
Albany 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 help first
home buyers get into the market in Albany and throughout the Great Southern:
- $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 26 homes for regional
frontline workers in Albany, 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;
- $75 million investment in water and
wastewater infrastructure services to facilitate residential lot development,
including in Albany;
- $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; and
- $48 million for 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.
Real cost-of-living
relief will be delivered to Western Australians living in the Great Southern
through a range of initiatives that provide financial support for households,
with the Cook Labor 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 11,200 students in the Great Southern.
Other cost-of-living
relief measures funded as part of this Budget include:
- $36.4 million for free public transport for
school students, including in Albany;
- $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 to diversify WA's nation-leading economy so that it remains the
strongest in the nation will be secured in the Great Southern through the
following investments as part of the 2026-27 State Budget:
- $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 TAFE campuses in Albany, Katanning, Denmark, and Mount
Barker.
- $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 Great Southern;
- $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; 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, with $60 million to be invested in
expanding the Albany Health Campus.
Other investments
include:
- $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 $10.8 million to begin
assisting customers of the Albany Gas Distribution System to transition to
alternative energy sources after the current operator decommissions the
infrastructure.
The following investments
will be made to bolster schools:
- $41.1 million to fully fund commitment to
minor upgrade projects at 61 schools - including Denmark Primary School in the Great
Southern;
- $219 million boost to school maintenance,
benefiting schools in the Great Southern;
- 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;
- $310 million uplift in funding to
support students with disability at public schools; 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:
- $421 million for child protection services,
in addition to $52.4 million extra support for foster carers and grandcarers;
- $361 million for Foundational Supports -
Thriving Kids services over the next five years, to provide support for children aged
8 and under with developmental delays or autism;
- $91.1 million funding boost for new and
continuing homelessness services;
- $61.4 million for the Target 120 early
intervention program for young people coming into repeated contact with WA
Police, including in Albany;
- $60.7 million to provide ongoing funding for
road safety community awareness campaigns and school education programs across
WA;
- $44.6 million uplift in operational funding
for family and domestic violence refuges and safe houses across WA, inclusive of
$11.6 million in operating costs for five new or expanded refuges currently
under development, including one in Albany;
- $31.2 million towards the replacement of the
fire and emergency fleet throughout WA;
- $29.5 million uplift in resourcing for the
Home Stretch WA service supporting young people as they age out of the child
protection system, including in the Great Southern;
- $24.2
million for WA Police for Operation Regional Shield in regional WA; and
- $20.3 million funding uplift for at-risk
youth services around the State.
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
- $6.2
million to further support the Healthy Estuaries WA program.
For more information, visit ourstatebudget.wa.gov.au
Comments
attributed to Premier Roger Cook:
"Whether you live in
Albany or the towns and remote communities throughout the Great Southern
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
front of us 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 Great Southern 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 Great Southern Minister Reece Whitby:
"The
Cook Labor Government is delivering on its commitment to invest in the Great
Southern which is playing a crucial role in strengthening regional Western
Australia.
"In
this year's State Budget, we are prioritising housing, health and jobs, and the
Great Southern's position as a regional hub will be further enhanced for years
to come through these commitments.
"By
investing in regional WA, we're making the Great Southern a great place to
start and grow a family, secure a quality job and explore the incredible
tourism sector for local and out-of-state visitors."
Comments
attributed to Sam Rowe MLC:
"The
Great Southern is a great place to live, get a job, and raise a family, and I'm
proud to be part of a government that's committed to delivering for this
region.
"Through
this State Budget, the Cook Labor Government is providing real cost-of-living
relief and record investment in social and affordable housing to help more
Great Southern families have a place to call home."
