This year’s state financial blueprint already had all the makings of a pre-election cash splash – even before NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet uttered a word of his second budget speech on Tuesday.
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With less than a year before the state’s voters head to the polls in March, the Berejiklian government has got itself on the front foot - digging deeply into the state’s purse to give a helping hand to those in need and to push ahead with its infrastructure agenda.
Already before the treasurer uttered a word we knew about the funding for the Dubbo Hospital redevelopment and the Western Cancer Centre. We also knew about money for farmers and weather radars in the drought affected regions.
Sweeteners are part of many budgets – and, there were plenty of sweeteners scattered throughout this year.
However, this year’s approach to the budget was different. This year’s budget was like a colander – it had plenty of leaks. It made for few surprises, but it showed the Berejiklian government won’t be leaving anything to chance when it comes to the March state election.
NSW might be in good financial shape, having posted a $3.9 billion surplus in 2017-18 and forecasting surpluses averaging $1.6 billion a year for the next four years, but the need to keep voters on side is crucial.
There was plenty of cost-of-living assistance handed out in this budget – including a new Creative Kids Rebate, which gives families a $100 voucher for each of their school aged children to fund extra-curricular activities such as music, drama, visual and performing arts classes.
There was also the optional baby bundle to help parents of newborns, as well as cuts to parking fines, just to name a few.
Many projects that were announced prior to the 2015 election continued to receive an injection of cash this time around – work has to be well under way by now so voters aren’t left with that broken promises feeling when they put pencil to paper at the ballot box.
The Berejiklian government’s investment in infrastructure, including a record spend of $87.2 billion over the next four years should be commended. However, much of that money is centred around Sydney.
Once again, plenty of money went to Western Sydney as well. Cash was also splashed on major road upgrades and infrastructure projects across the state, but there’s no doubt some communities have been left feeling short-changed.