BUDGET 2013: SECURING THE FUTURE FOR NSW
- The NSW Budget secures the future of NSW by ensuring expense growth does not exceed revenue growth.
- The Budget also reduces forecast debt, reduces the payroll tax burden to drive jobs growth and delivers a $60 billion infrastructure program.
- We have also boosted funding for front-line services with an additional $884 million for health, $524 million for education and $171 million for police.
- Watch a video message about the Budget from Treasurer Mike Baird www.nsw.gov.au/budget
DRIVING JOBS GROWTH
- Since the Liberals & Nationals came to government, NSW has created more jobs than any other State in the nation.
- But now is not the time to be complacent – which is why we announced in the Budget the payroll tax threshold will be increased from $689,000 to $750,000 from 1 July.
- The change means 1,300 businesses will no longer have to pay payroll tax and every other business that pays the tax will receive a $3,000 reduction in their bill.
- We have also increased the payroll tax rebate from $4,000 to $5,000 – providing further incentives for businesses to hire new staff.
ROADS AND TRANSPORT HEADLINE INFRASTRUCTURE BUDGET
- Roads and transport are the big winners in the State Budget with the delivery of key election commitments to build the North West Rail Link ($4 billion over four years), South West Rail Link ($782 million), and WestConnex ($1.8 billion).
- There is also nearly $500 million for the Circular Quay to Eastern Suburbs Light Rail and the Inner West Light Rail.
- The Pacific Highway receives nearly $1 billion in 2013-14 to continue the duplication work, while the Princes Highway has been allocated $178 million and $400 million has been reserved for the F3 to M2 Link should it progress through to construction.
- In other funding measures, the Waratah trains carriage program continues and once completed 95 per cent of CityRail trains will be air conditioned, while the highly successful pinch-point road program received $246 million.
REBIRTH OF NEWCASTLE
- A centrepiece of the Budget is the NSW Government’s strategy to drive the economic growth and renewal of Newcastle.
- A 99-year lease of Newcastle Port will unlock resources that can then be used to accelerate and extend the vision for a revitalised Newcastle.
- The NSW Government’s vision for Newcastle, which was unveiled last December, now includes light rail as part of the strategy to reinvent Newcastle as a modern city.
- The proposed new light rail option is potentially only the beginning – $10 million will be allocated to explore the potential for this link to be the basis for light rail linking the Newcastle CBD with surrounding suburbs, beaches and the broader Hunter region.
100,000 MORE PEOPLE TO BE TREATED IN RECORD HEALTH BUDGET
- The Budget has prioritised frontline health services by investing millions of dollars to provide more quality and timely treatment for the people of NSW.
- An additional $884 million will be invested in the NSW health system in 2013-14 – bringing the recurrent budget for NSW Health to a record $17.9 billion – an increase of 5.2 per cent compared with the previous year.
- An additional $220 million has been allocated for increased activity (an extra 69,000 emergency department attendances, an extra 34,000 patients admitted to hospital including surgery for an extra 3000 patients, extra outpatient clinic appointments and new sub-acute services) as well as additional intensive care services for babies, children and adults.
- There is $1.2 billion in capital funding to continue the NSW Government’s massive program of redeveloping health facilities across the state including Blacktown Mount Druitt, Campbelltown, Lismore, Muswellbrook, Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Parkes, Forbes, Northern Beaches Health Service, St George, Prince of Wales, Royal North Shore, John Hunter, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai, Tamworth, Wagga Wagga, South East Regional Hospital (Bega), Dubbo, Westmead, Shoalhaven, Hillston, Peak Hill, Yamba, Wollongong and Nepean.
BIG BOOST FOR EDUCATION AND THE NDIS
- Education, training and early childhood has received a record $13.95 billion in the Budget, including a $153 million provision in additional State and Federal funding for the 2014 school year in line with the National Education Reform Agreement.
- There is $530 million for school capital works including five new schools in the Lower North Shore, Spring Farm, The Ponds, Strathfield and Crows Nest, while there is $320 million for school maintenance.
- We’ve demonstrated our commitment to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, allocating $585 million in the Budget for the Hunter launch which begins next month, benefiting 10,000 people.
- The NDIS will transform the lives of people with disability, empowering them to make decisions about their services and supports.
