- 2025-26 State Budget delivers on Cook Labor Government's vision for regional WA
- More than $10 billion invested in the regions
- Significant investments in health, community safety, education and housing
- More than $4 billion delivered through Royalties for Regions Program
- Ensuring people living in regional Western Australia have access to the infrastructure and services they need
The Cook Labor Government is delivering its vision for the Goldfields and Esperance, with the 2025-26 State Budget providing significant investments in health infrastructure, mental health services, community safety, housing and community services.
Billions of dollars will be delivered to the regions, supporting the Cook Government's commitment to Western Australians, whether they live in our suburbs, regional centres, towns, or remote communities, they will have access to local job opportunities, major services and quality infrastructure.
The Budget will help keep costs down for WA families with billions of dollars in rebates and concessions, and household fees and charges being kept affordable with below inflation increases for a sixth consecutive year.
More than $4 billion in Royalties for Regions funding will also go towards projects which enhance regional communities, ensuring they remain exceptional places to live, work and raise a family.
Western Australians in Goldfields-Esperance will benefit from the Cook Government's $121 million investment in regional health and mental health infrastructure and services. This includes:
- $12.2million to implement a Virtual Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Hub, which will provide virtual mental health treatment and support services for children and their families;
- $9.9 million to improve mental health service access in the Goldfields through the Step Up/Step Down program;
- $9.8million to acquit current commitments related to temporary nurse and midwife attraction and retention incentives;
- $8.2 million to establish GP ASK to connect WA GPs to dedicated and experienced specialists without the need for patients to travel to a hospital; and
- $1 million for the Kalgoorlie Health Campus master planning.
The 2025-26 State Budget delivers cost-of-living support for people in Goldfields-Esperance with rebates and concessions for people across regional WA, including:
- $3.5billion over the next fouryears to keep regional water and power prices in line with metropolitan prices;
- $337 million towards the WA Residential Battery Scheme, providing Synergy customers with up to $5,000 and Horizon Power customers with up to $7,500 towards the cost of a household battery, combined with the Commonwealth scheme, plus households with incomes of less than $210,000 per annum can access no-interest loans of up to $10,000;
- $152 million to cap public transport fares at the cost of a one-zone ticket including Kalgoorlie, Coolgardie and Kambalda bus services;
- $28 million to expand the School Breakfast Program to provide free breakfasts five days a week at more than 650 schools, including in the Goldfields-Esperance region;
- $25.7 million to deliver a further $100 increase to the Regional Pensioner Travel Card, bringing the total card value to $775 per year;
- $18.2 million to halve Transwa fares including for the Prospector train and bus services connecting towns in regional WA, including across the Goldfields-Esperance region;
- $18.5 million to increase the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme fuel subsidy from 26c per kilometre to 40c per kilometre;
- $16.2million ($21.2million to 2029-30) to expand the School Breakfast Program at socially disadvantaged regional schools;
- $8 million for the Country Week Assistance Program, reducing travel and accommodation costs for families; and
- $250 for every secondary student and $150 for every primary and kindergarten student, through the second round of the Western Australian Student Assistance Payment.
Over the next fouryears, $219.7million will be invested in regional primary and secondary school infrastructure and programs, as well as a range of measures to support families across Western Australia, including for early childhood education and outside of school hours care. Key initiatives include:
- $43.3 million towards the first tranche of the Cool the Schools program that will deliver air conditioning upgrades to schools across the State including:
- $1 million to upgrade air conditioning at Leonora District High School; and
- $800,000 to upgrade air conditioning at Kalgoorlie Primary School.
- $42 million towards the first tranche of minor works for schools across the State including:
- $1.8 million to upgrade the oval at Kambalda West District High School; and
- $850,000 to deliver pre-primary building upgrades and nature playground at Norseman District High School.
- $30.3 million for the School of Isolated and Distance Education to support more students learning in regional WesternAustralia;
- $29 million to trial nation-leading free full-time, school-based kindy, which includes $2.3 million for minor infrastructure upgrades to five regional pilot sites;
- 15 million to boost before and after school care in schools;
- $10million for additional transportable classrooms in regional schools;
- $8.6 million to facilitate a range of infrastructure works in the regions as part of the New Schools and Maintenance Vision commitment; and
- more than $4million as part of the Government's small commitments to support minor works and noninfrastructure projects at more than 70 public and nongovernment schools.
About $277 million per annum will be invested to deliver Vocational Education and Training, career and employment advice, and TAFE support services across regional WesternAustralia, with further asset investment of $65 million towards regional TAFE projects. This includes:
- $11.6million for another round of the TAFE Modern Equipment program to enhance facilities and infrastructure assets in the regions;
- $8.6million to deliver fee-free TAFE-housing and construction courses, upskilling the local workforce to build regional houses; and
- $2.4 million for the Adult Apprentice Incentive Scheme to cover the wage gap for employers engaging apprentices aged 21 years and over.
The Cook Government's budget will deliver a $1.4 billion investment to support housing and homelessness measures. Key regional housing initiatives include:
- $103.8 million in funding to deliver more Government Regional Officer Housing homes for essential government workers in the regions;
- $25 million for the Regional Housing Support Fund that will provide grants of up to $5 million to support new housing and land supply across regional WA, assisting with a wide range of costs, with local government projects and regional subdivisions eligible $20 million towards the Pringle Village Stage 2 - Seniors Independent Living in Kalgoorlie; and
- $13.7 million for regional staff accommodation costs to attract and retain staff in regional areas.
Regional roads and transport infrastructure continue to be upgraded, with investments in key projects and programs across the regions including:
- $250 million over five years to expand the Regional Road Safety Program to local government roads across the State, which will deliver road safety treatments including the sealing of road shoulders and the installation of audible lines, making more regional roads safer;
- $8.5 million towards stage one of the signalised pedestrian crossings program, including on Maritana Street, between Dugan Street and Piccadilly Street, to cater for students at Kalgoorlie Primary School and St Mary's Primary School;
- 8.3 million to progress planning and negotiations to bring the freight rail network back into government hands;
- $7.7 million to upgrade Bayley Street in Coolgardie; and
- $700,000 to install signalised crossings.
The 2025-26 Budget will continue to build safe and strong regional communities with key commitments, such as:
- more than $480million perannum for services provided by the WesternAustralia Police Force's regional districts, including 123police stations and around 1,900police officers and staff;
- $390million perannum on court and tribunal administration in the regions, community corrections, and the operation of the State's eight regional prisons (and workcamps);
- $20 million to expand the Aboriginal Ranger Program;
- $14.3million to redevelop a WesternAustralia Police Academy accommodation block, which will be used to provide free accommodation to regional recruits to encourage people living in regional areas to become police officers;
- $8.9 million funding boost to the Exploration Incentive Scheme to encourage mining exploration and support jobs in regional WA;
- $6.7million for the Grain Harvest Program and aerial fire response capability including the establishment of two strike teams;
- $2.5million for Kalgoorlie LED streetlighting;
- $3.5 million for expansion of the Community Emergency Services Manager program;
- $3.1 million towards a new State Bushfire Mitigation Branch, including 12 additional staff;
- $3 million to continue an uplift in baseline funding to financial counselling services across the State, including the Goldfields Financial Counselling Service and Escare's Esperance Financial Counselling Service; and
- $2million, funded by the Commonwealth Government, to establish a WesternAustralian Telecommunications Resilience Pilot Program in the Wheatbelt and Western Goldfields.
Securing the Goldfields-Esperance water future is a priority for the Cook Government, with substantial investments in the Budget, including:
- $543.3million to the Goldfields and Agricultural Water Supply Scheme upgrade; and
- $5 million for the KalgoorlieBoulder Water Bank Project.
The Cook Government is focused on diversifying regional economies, deliver more jobs and power WA. This includes investments of:
- $13.5million to undertake network connection works required for a new 50 per cent renewable power generation station in Leonora;
- $5 million towards the Group Training Organisation Wage Subsidy Program; and
- $2.5 million to expand and fit out the Kalgoorlie Driver and Vehicle Services centre.
A commitment of $33.3 million to support family and domestic violence victim-survivors has been included in the Budget, including:
- $11.5 million to deliver the Safe at Home program to seven additional locations, including several in regional Western Australia.
The Cook Government's budget will also support local industry, sport and recreation across Goldfields-Esperance. Some of the projects and initiatives include:
- $93 million towards the first tranche of sport and recreation infrastructure upgrades across the State including:
- $2.6 million towards lighting upgrades at Kalgoorlie sporting facilities including Oasis Playing Field 2, Digger Daws Oval and Sir Richard Moore Oval; and
- $300,000 towards the reconstruction of the old greens of the Coolgardie RSL with artificial turf.
- $25.2million to establish a Regional Racing Fund for key infrastructure upgrades at up to 24 racing, harness, turf and trotting clubs, including $2.1 million for Esperance Bay Turf Club and $700,000 for Kalgoorlie-Boulder Racing Club;
- $6 million to establish the Boosting Women and Girls Participation in Sport fund to encourage women and girls to get involved in community sport;
- $4 million to establish the Veterans Facilities fund to help RSL and veterans' organisations upgrade their local facilities and RSL clubs;
- $2.6 million towards lighting upgrades at Kalgoorlie sporting facilities;
- $1.7million to deliver a mountain bike trail in the Kalgoorlie area;
- $1.3 million for medical facilities at all Karting WA clubs, including at Eastern Goldfields Kart Club and Esperance Kart Club;
- $300,000 in funding for the Leonora Drive-In Theatre; and
- $500,000 towards upgrading and establishing sporting facilities.
The 2025-26 State Budget delivers another strong surplus for Western Australia, and with debt levels remaining affordable, puts WA in the best position to invest in what matters for all Western Australians.
For more information, visit https://www.ourstatebudget.wa.gov.au
As stated by Goldfields-Esperance Minister David Michael:
"As the new minister for the Goldfields-Esperance region, I am pleased the Cook Government is making such a significant investment in the region including upgraded infrastructure, improved services and more housing.
"I look forward to continuing to advocate for even greater investment in a diverse region that, with its booming resources and primary produce sectors, is crucial to the ongoing economic success of our State."
As stated by Kalgoorlie MLA Ali Kent:
"I'm thrilled to be part of a government that is investing nearly $1 billion in its 2025-26 State Budget to improve the lives of constituents living in the electoral district of Kalgoorlie and beyond.
"When we make commitments, we deliver.
"I'm particularly pleased to see the significant funding for health and education infrastructure and initiatives that are so important for families living in the region."
