Infrastructure upgrades at NSW hospitals and schools will form part of a “back-to-basics” budget the government says will address neglect under its coalition-led predecessor.
More than $1 billion will go to addressing a backlog of accessibility and maintenance work at schools, while almost the same amount will go to rural and regional health projects in Labor’s second budget since winning the March 2023 election.
Education Minister Prue Car said about $200 million would go to addressing a backlog of upgrades and refurbishments that were promised but not delivered under the former government.
“Our public schools are the lifeblood of our communities, and we want teachers and students to feel proud to study and work in them – central to that is ensuring that they are maintained to a high standard and have the most up-to-date facilities,” Ms Car said.
She will attend Bonnyrigg High School in Sydney’s west on Tuesday, announcing upgrades to bathrooms at one of the schools Ms Car said would benefit from the “back-to-basics” state budget, to be delivered on June 18.
Some $600 million will go toward school maintenance and $150 million for accessibility works on top of a previously announced budget of $3.6 billion for 60 new and upgraded schools.
Meanwhile, the government also announced upgrades for hospitals and health facilities at a cost of $3.4 billion.
Ongoing hospital redevelopments around the state will receive extra funds, while Port Macquarie Hospital, on the state’s mid-north coast, will receive $265 million to provide more clinical services, including emergency and maternity services.
Health Minister Ryan Park is attending Ryde Hospital in Sydney’s northwest to announce a further $47.8 million for its redevelopment, bringing the total cost to more than $526 million.
The upgrades include a new emergency department, inpatient wards and diagnostic imaging services.
Some $250 million will go to critical maintenance at the state’s health facilities.
Mr Park said the budget would deliver better health care for NSW by expanding the services available in growing communities, blaming the former government for pressures on the health system.
“Our health system faces significant challenges after 12 years of neglect by the Liberal and National government, but we are making the diligent decision to invest in critical health infrastructure to ensure we have the essential health services the people of NSW rely on,” he said.
Emergency departments started the year with their busiest quarter on record, NSW Bureau of Health Information reported in May.
Ahead of the budget, Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has written to the state’s auditor-general to advise of a $1 billion accounting error due to sales of developments near Sydney Metro stations being counted twice.
Greens treasury spokeswoman Abigail Boyd said the former government left a “legacy of accounting smoke and mirrors that looks like it will take years for the new Labor government to unpick”, although she warned against it being used as an excuse for an austerity budget.