The McGowan Labor Government has committed a massive $9 billion to the COVID-19 response and recovery, to keep Western Australia safe and strong and continue to fund our world-leading pandemic response.
This includes $1 billion in additional support provided in the 2021-22 Budget comprising:
- $605 million to equip our frontline police and health services and community health and safety initiatives such as enhanced school cleaning and public transport;
- $219 million in support to businesses including small business grants and industry assistance; and
- $182 million in economic recovery and other initiatives.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in March 2020 to the end of the 2020-21 financial year, the McGowan Government has spent or foregone revenue totalling more than $4.4 billion to fund WA's pandemic response and recovery measures.
More than $1 billion has been spent to date on frontline services to keep us safe including hotel quarantine, COVID-19 testing, medical equipment, the vaccine roll-out and border controls.
In 2021-22, an additional $328 million has already been allocated to fund frontline services in the coming Budget, with a further $800 million set aside for unforeseen costs, including $240 million specifically for WA Health.
The COVID-19 response to date includes $2.7 billion committed to support WA businesses and households. The McGowan Government will continue to provide further COVID-19 support as required.
More than $4.5 billion in initiatives continue to roll-out as part of our plan to drive our response and social and economic recovery. This includes the hundreds of projects as part of the WA Recovery Plan to drive industry development, investing in schools and TAFEs, build community infrastructure and much more.
As stated by Premier Mark McGowan:
"My Government has put the health of Western Australians first, keeping the State safe and strong from COVID-19.
"Our financial discipline in the first term of Government took significant effort, but it has been crucial in giving WA the financial capacity to respond to a one-in-one-hundred-year crisis.
"We have committed a staggering $9 billion to WA's COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.
"To put this in perspective this equates to almost one third of general government service delivery costs for health, education and other services in 2021‑22.
"With the threat of COVID-19 ever-present, we continue to build financial capacity into the State's finances to ensure our response can continue to be world-leading and we continue to keep WA safe."
As stated by Health Minister Roger Cook:
"Western Australia's health response to the COVID-19 pandemic has led the country and the world.
"I'd like to thank all frontline workers for their efforts in keeping WA safe and strong.
"As this State Budget shows, we'll continue to provide the financial support to ensure our health response continues to keep Western Australians safe."
