GST WA: Latest updates on the 2018 GST Reforms

The WA Government’s People's Submission

The People’s Submission was a report lodged alongside the Western Australian Government submission to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into the 2018 GST Reforms.

More than 6,000 Western Australians had their say on the GST Reforms, providing valuable feedback on how our GST share supports the State. The People’s Submission shows strong support for Western Australia keeping its current GST share.

In summary, 6,066 people shared their views with overwhelming support for WA keeping its current GST share:

• Responses came from metropolitan and regional areas, across all age groups
• Respondents provided comments on the potential impacts of changes to WA’s GST share. People said GST funding is important for hospitals and health services, schools, infrastructure, regional and remote services, and keeping WA’s economy strong.

Here’s a snapshot of what they had to say.

Together, the submissions make clear the 2018 GST Reforms are working for Western Australia and the nation, and should be retained.

Read the Western Australian Government People’s submission below: 
The People's Submission

The WA Government’s submission to the Productivity Commission

The WA Government has lodged its submission to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into the 2018 GST Reforms.

In its submission, the Western Australian Government substantiates that the GST Reforms provide a reasonable and pragmatic balance between supporting smaller States and encouraging States to invest in their economies, and should therefore be preserved.

The submission provides detailed analysis and supporting evidence to show that:

• Under the current system, States such as Western Australia that have strengthened their economies, revenue sources and productivity have seen more GST redistributed to other States, while States with weaker or more limited revenue growth have benefited from a larger GST share.
• The way that the GST was distributed amongst States before the GST Reforms led to a number of extreme and unintended outcomes, as well as incentives that did not always encourage desirable economic or policy outcomes.
• Even with the 2018 GST Reforms, Western Australia contributes more than its fair share to the Australian federation, the national economy, and the Commonwealth Budget.
• The Submission emphasises that the GST Reforms have achieved their originally intended aims, by delivering a reasonable level of equalisation, improving incentives that support productivity, and reducing volatility. 

The submission also references independent economic modelling by ACIL Allen, which looks at the fiscal and economic impacts of the 2018 GST Reforms and the investment decisions they have supported.

The ACIL Allen report finds the reforms have supported additional investment in Western Australia and delivered broader economic benefits for Australia as a whole.

Key findings from the report include:

• Around $22.8 billion in additional investment, program spending and tax relief in WA was enabled by the increased fiscal capacity from the GST Reforms.
• These investments are estimated to increase Australia’s Gross Domestic Product by between $51.7 billion and $67.8 billion over 20 years.
• Long-term benefits are expected to be driven increasingly by improved productivity and deeper capital investment in the WA economy.

Read the Western Australian Government's full submission to the Productivity Commission below.

WA Government Submission

How can I take action?

You can still make a difference while the Productivity Commission review is taking place.

Find some of the ways you can make your voice heard.

GST Homepage

What is the Productivity Commission inquiry process and timings

The Productivity Commission (PC) will provide an interim report to the Australian Government on 14 August 2026, with a final report expected at the end of the year.

This feedback will help inform the Australian Government to decide whether the 2018 GST Reforms are operating as intended, or if the GST distribution system could be improved. The PC may use these submissions as part of their interim and final report.

Updates on the inquiry will be made available on this page.

You can still make a brief comment anytime to the Productivity Commission, comments maybe be used by the Commission to inform its report.

Make a brief comment here