NSW Budget 2023: What’s set to get chopped and what’s committed to in brutal budget

A range of major projects and government schemes are set to get the chop in NSW Labor’s first budget in 13 years. Here’s what has been scrapped, scaled down and committed to.

NSW Labor’s first budget in 13 years will confirm the chopping of a swathe of major projects and cost-of-living initiatives in an attempt to balance the books.

Labor campaigned earlier this year on a narrative of economic sustainability, announcing before they had even been elected plans to dump projects like dam wall raisings and expensive trade commissioner roles.

Premier Chris Minns has also been forthright in recent months over other initiatives they’ll ditch in the budget, including Active Kids Vouchers and the Seniors Travel Card.

No decision will be made next week on the future funding of the major Metro projects underway, with it understood their long-term future will be revealed when a review into them is finished later this year.

NSW Premier Chris Minns will preside over Labor’s first state budget in 13 years. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE: Monique Harmer

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey, however, is set to stop funding a wide range of government projects and schemes as he looks to head off gross debt levels which are forecast to hit $187 billion by mid-2026.

A lot of the cuts will come as the government attempts to balance the books on the wages of public sector workers, which make up 47 per cent of expenses.

There will be a few sugar hits in the budget, with the NSW Government already showing its hand on its major election promises to pump money into education and hospitals.

The Daily Telegraph revealed earlier this week that $3.5 billion would be put towards upgrading and building 60 new schools in Sydney’s west over the coming four years, while $3 billion will be injected into upgrading western Sydney hospitals.

NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey. Picture : NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

What’s coming and what’s going?

Among the large list of things to be scrapped, redesigned or repurposed are major transport links and roads; tax breaks and rebates; cost of living assistance and subsidies to childcare. Others are yet to have a commitment for funding.

However, there are some big spends on education, healthcare and disaster recovery initiatives.

The Premier earlier this week laid the platform for a budget which would focus on their key election promises in education and health.

“We are a government with a clear focus – managing our finances responsibly so we can provide support when you need it most and improve the essential services that we all rely on, now and into the future,” he said.

Treasurer Mookhey warned shortly after the election his government would face “tough choices” in the budget, after inheriting the largest debt in the state’s history.

“We are inheriting significant economic challenges and difficult to avoid pressures on the budget, including unfunded government programs,” Mr Mookhey said in April.

“These challenges can’t be fixed overnight. It will take time and there will be tough choices.”

Here’s what we know of so far: