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WA budget

September

Surprise government spending blowout hits $70b

Treasury may have underestimated a state and federal government budget spending splurge by $70 billion, which a string of economists warn will add to inflation.

  • Updated
  • Michael Read

May

Western Australia’s Treasurer and deputy Premier Rita Saffioti has blamed record migration for a surge in government spending.

‘Unprecedented’ migration blamed for jump in WA spending

Treasurer says the state government had been forced to spend more on education, housing and healthcare after 95,000 people moved to WA last year.

  • Tom Rabe
WA budget resources

WA taps Albanese for $200m critical minerals hub

WA has earmarked land near where Alcoa is closing its alumina refinery and a BHP nickel refinery is hanging by a thread for a critical minerals processing hub it wants the Albanese government to co-fund.

  • Brad Thompson
WA budget winners/losers

WA Budget Winners and Losers

Households and prospective home buyers are expected to benefit from new spending measures, while there is no additional funding for farmers, and still no changes to the state’s payroll tax system.

  • Updated
  • Tom Rabe and Brad Thompson
WA budget

WA infrastructure spending goes ‘up another gear’

Premier Roger Cook has vowed to shift infrastructure spending “up another gear” as the state splashed billions on cost-of-living and housing, to absorb the record 95,000 people who moved west last year.

  • Tom Rabe
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Amid a surge in Perth property prices, the WA government will give owners of vacant homes $5000 if they make them available for long-term renters.

Landlords offered $5000 lure for housing fix

Amid a surge in Perth property prices, the WA government will give owners of vacant homes $5000 if they make them available for long-term renters.

  • Tom Rabe
Ahead of handing down her first budget on Thursday, Rita Saffioti says becoming the WA Treasurer feels like stepping into an F1 car.

Fast and unpopular: Why running WA economy’s like driving for Red Bull

Treasurer Rita Saffioti says Western Australia is the Red Bull Formula 1 team of the states, as she prepares to hand down her first budget.

  • Tom Rabe
WA Treasurer Rita Saffioti in her office ahead of Thursday’s state budget.

WA to raise iron ore projections in budget

The WA government will increase its long-term price assumptions for iron ore at this week’s state budget.

  • Tom Rabe

December 2023

WA Treasurer Rita Saffioti has revealed a $3.7 billion budget surplus.

Surging WA government costs eat into $3b iron ore windfall

Surging iron ore prices have delivered the West Australian government an extra $3 billion in royalties, but two-thirds will go on increased state expenses.

  • Tom Rabe

November 2023

The former Coalition government’s politically expedient GST fix is returning to haunt the Albanese government.

GST magic pudding shows there’s no appetite for tax reform

State and federal financial relations are a dog’s breakfast. But premiers are more interested in entrenching their own interests than reforming the mess.

  • The AFR View

July 2023

Kununurra farmer Lachlan Dobson says hundreds of tonnes of bananas and grapefruit will soon drop to the ground.

Fruit left to rot as ‘strongest state’ can’t get enough workers

WA Treasurer Rita Saffioti lauds double AAA rating, but business warns worker shortage is a drag on economy.

  • Tom Rabe

June 2023

NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey will  call a halt to the former Coalition government’s sovereign wealth fund.

State debt addictions harder to add up

The least creditworthy jurisdictions face paying a higher risk premium on their borrowings unless they get their houses in order by bringing down debt.

  • The AFR View

May 2023

Edward Wolkowinski is the owner and manager of the Heritage Wine Bar in Perth’s CBD.

‘A tale of two countries’: Perth long lunches continue amid budget boom

Fresh from handing down yet another multibillion-dollar budget surplus, WA Premier Mark McGowan said if other states had problems “they really need to look in the mirror”.

  • Tom Rabe
Premier Mark McGowan has flagged WA must diversify its economy.

McGowan eyes Texas in bid to diversify WA away from iron ore

Mark McGowan wants to diversify his state away from its heavy reliance on iron ore.

  • Tom Rabe
WA Premier Mark McGowan has handed down a sixth consecutive budget surplus.

McGowan on track to deliver a decade of surpluses for WA

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has handed down a budget surplus of $3.3 billion, and the state is on track for 10 consecutive years in the black, buoyed by overflowing mining royalties.

  • Updated
  • Tom Rabe
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Mining royalties have again helped propel the McGowan government to a budget surplus.

The winners and losers in the WA budget

Who benefits, and who missed out from Thursday’s WA budget.

  • Tom Rabe
The WA government will allocate close to $3b for new battery storage and wind power in it’s state budget.

WA to spend $3b on major battery storage system, wind power

The West Australian government will allocate almost $3 billion to a renewable battery storage system and new wind power in Thursday’s state budget.

  • Tom Rabe
Emu Downs wind and solar farm, Western Australia.

WA flags massive energy grid expansion to support industry

Western Australia has flagged an expansion to its energy grid to support a future influx of renewable generation needed to support heavy industry.

  • Tom Rabe

April 2023

States need fiscal revolution to avoid debt bomb

NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey is laying the groundwork for a revamping of state government finances.

  • Christopher Joye

December 2022

WA premier Mark McGowan.

WA reveals budget boost as iron ore stays stronger and longer

WA premier Mark McGowan raises spectre of a recession as the resources-rich state receives budget boost from higher than forecast iron ore royalties.

  • Brad Thompson

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/wa-budget-jkr