Cook Labor Government delivering for the Kimberley

The Cook Labor Government is delivering for the Kimberley 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.
  • Budget delivers real cost-of-living relief and housing in the Kimberley region
  • Investments to support Broome 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 an additional investment of $16.2 million in the Broome Renal Hostel
  • Cook 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 Kimberley 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 WA 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 Broome, 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 including AI. The seven cities are Broome, Karratha, Port Hedland, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Bunbury and Albany.

Broome 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 Broome and throughout the Kimberley:

  • $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;
  • $419 million for more than 500 GROH and key government worker dwellings through the Seven Cities New Build program, including new houses, expansion of the GROH Investor Program, and establishment of a revamped Home Ownership Subsidy Scheme including shared equity options;
  • $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 home owner duty concessions, increased first home owner 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
  • $40.7 million to boost residential land supply in the Kimberley, with 111 new lots to be developed at Broome North.

Real cost-of-living relief will be delivered to Western Australians living in the Kimberley 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 is providing $150 for each primary and kindergarten student and $250 for each secondary school student - including for the families of around 7,500 students in the Kimberley.

Regional travel to and from the Kimberley will continue to be supported, with funding committed in this Budget to support flights to and from Kununurra with Halls Creek and Balgo, as well as to and from Derby and Broome.

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 Broome and Kununurra;
  • $35 million for a 10 per cent uplift in the value of the Energy Assistance Payment, Dependent Child Rebate, and Air Conditioning Allowance;
  • $33.7 million for to provide free travel on public transport on Sundays, including in Broome;
  • $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;
  • $14.2 million to support and expand bus services in Broome;
  • $13.5 million to extend the WA Rent Relief Program;
  • ongoing support for the Regional Airfare Zone Cap Scheme to keep airfares capped and affordable for eligible regional residents amid increasing fuel costs; and
  • $3.8 million to support continued operation of the Inter-Regional Flight Network, including for flights to and from Broome.

The Cook Labor Government's vision to diversify WA's nation-leading economy so that it remains the remains the nation's economic powerhouse will be secured in the Kimberley through the following investments as part of the 2026-27 State Budget:

  • 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 Broome, Derby, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek, Kununurra, and Wyndham campuses;
  • $113.5 million for road maintenance across WA;
  • $83.2 million, jointly funded with the Commonwealth, to deliver Stage 1 of the Great Northern Highway Fitzroy to Gogo flood resilience works;
  • $33.1 million contribution to the nationally coordinated Fuel Excise Relief Program, and a further $4.5 million for the deferral of heavy vehicle fee increases, supporting industry in the Kimberley;
  • $30 million to top up the Investment Attraction Fund for a second round of grants through the New Energies Industries Funding Stream;
  • the West Kimberley Power Purchase Agreement has been extended to January 2031 for power reliability in the region;
  • $24.6 million to begin works needed to support the 2028 Kimberley Total Solar Eclipse;
  • $18 million to deliver Aboriginal tourism initiatives under the Jina: Western Australian Aboriginal Tourism Action Plan 2026-2030:
  • $16 million to extend delivery of the Energy Ahead program to 2028‑29, delivering energy efficiency upgrades and education to more than 10,000 low‑income Synergy and Horizon Power customers;
  • $5 million to support the Garaan‑ngaddim Horizontal Falls tourism transition project;
  • $2.4 million for the Aboriginal Pastoral Program in the Pilbara and Kimberley regions; 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.

That includes an additional investment of $16.2 million in the Broome Renal Hostel.

Other investments include:

  • $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 to 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 Kimberley:

  • $6.5 million for delivery of the Kimberley Schools Project in the 2027 school year;
  • $219 million boost to school maintenance, benefiting schools in the Kimberley;
  • 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 Halls Creek and Kununurra;
  • $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, including in the Kimberley;
  • $41 million to extend the Kimberley Juvenile Justice Strategy, targeted at reducing youth crime and supporting at-risk youth in the Kimberley;
  • $31.2 million towards the fire and emergency fleet replacement 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 Kimberley;
  • $24.2 million for WA Police for Operation Regional Shield in regional WA;
  • $20.3 million funding uplift for at-risk youth services around the State, including the Night Patrol and Youth Services in Broome and Kununurra;
  • $8.8 million to employ additional community liaison officers and a program coordinator across both regional and metropolitan areas; and
  • $1.5 million in 2026-27 to support continuation of the safeSPACE program in Kununurra, Kalgoorlie and Roebourne.

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
  • $2.5 million to strengthen climate resilience planning across the State Government and support development of sector adaptation plans.

For more information, visit ourstatebudget.wa.gov.au

Comments attributed to Premier Roger Cook:

"Whether you live in Broome or the towns and remote communities throughout the Kimberley 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 and Kimberley Minister Stephen Dawson:

"The Cook Labor Government is proud to be making a range of investments in the Kimberley region in this year's State Budget.

"This includes funding towards affordable airfares and key transport needs, health infrastructure and boosting land supply. 

"By continuing to invest in the Kimberley, we are helping ensure communities remain safe, connected and well supported now and into the future.

"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 Kimberley MLA Divina D'Anna:

"Through this State Budget, the Cook Labor Government is continuing to invest in the Kimberley so we're ready to seize new economic opportunities as they emerge.

"I'm proud we're also delivering real cost-of-living relief to help ease pressure on household budgets, along with record investment in social and affordable housing so more Kimberley families have a safe place to call home."