A record multibillion-dollar spend on social housing is at the heart of the New South Wales' budget, and supported by measures to alleviate cost-of-living pressures.
Treasurer Daniel Mookhey delivered a restrained and no-frills budget today, after the state was left with a shock $11.9 billion shortfall from this year's GST carve-up.
Pointing the finger at the federal government's decision to allocate NSW less tax revenue than the previous year, the state was left in red with a $3.6 billion deficit.
With a lot less cash to spend this year, this is how Mookhey divvied up funds in his budget of "must-haves, not nice-to-haves".
Social housing
The budget has poured a record $5.1 billion into building 8400 new social homes.
Moohkey touted the spend as the "biggest single investment in social housing any NSW government has made in the federation's history".
Domestic violence survivors will receive priority access to about half of those homes, about 3100.
Mookhey, however, recognised there are more women and children, an estimated 5013, currently in urgent need of safe accommodation than what the state can deliver.
About 2200 of the new social homes will be knock-down rebuilds of previous dwellings in desperate need of repair.
A further $1 billion will be used to repair 33,500 existing social homes and $528 million will be given to emergency housing and homelessness support.
Housing
In the midst of a housing crisis that has left the state with the highest mortgages in the country and an ever-tightening market, Mookhey acknowledged more needed to be done to soothe the pain.
To increase house supply, the state will release extra government land to allow Homes NSW, Landcom and the private sector to build 21,000 new homes at sites discovered from a land audit.
"Having now found these sites, we will mobilise them to build more housing for a state that needs it," Mookhey said.
"And we will set aside a further $5 million to keep the audit going."
Landcom will receive $450 million to build homes in metro Sydney for essential workers to rent while the planning department will be given a $254 million boost to help support the creation of new homes.
Another $200 million will be allocated to find and create more dwellings for regional and rural health workers.
Bulk-billing
Bulk-billing has become increasingly scarce due to pressures from uncertain payroll tax obligations.
"Free healthcare is supposed to be the birthright of every Australian," Mookhey said.
The budget has therefore announced a $188.8 million bulk-billing support scheme to incentivise doctors to reintroduce the practice.
From September 4, GP centres that bulk-bill 80 per cent of their patients in metro Sydney and 70 per cent in the rest of the state can receive a full rebate for the tax they would otherwise pay for the wages of contracted GPs.
"Additionally, no GP clinic will have to pay any back taxes they might owe on a contractor GP's wage," Mookhey said.
Domestic violence protection
Mookhey said social housing for domestic violence survivors is part of the government's response in helping those fleeing abusive relationships with a safe place to stay.
A $245.6 million Emergency Intervention Package, which was announced weeks before the budget was handed down, will support and protect survivors.
In that package, $45 million will go towards making it harder for those accused of serious domestic violence offences to get bail and $38.3 million for the state's first dedicated Primary Prevention Strategy.
$48 million of that will expand the Staying Home Leaving Violence Program.
Hospitals and health
Mookhey, as noted in a pre-budget announcement, has allocated $111.8 million towards mental health off the back of a mass stabbing at Westfield Bondi Junction in April.
The funding will include a dedicated mental health "single front door" and a boost to professionals within communities.
Another $481 million is going towards under-pressure emergency departments to reduce wait times and better outcomes for patients.
Meanwhile, $275 million will allow 250 healthcare workers to fill hospitals including those in the Tweed, Sutherland, Cooma, Griffith, Randwick and Wentworth.
Port Macquarie Hospital will get $265 million for a "critical" upgrade while other hospitals across the state will see $250 million to bolster "critical maintenance".
"The extra money going to our hospitals statewide will strengthen a health system handling tremendous pressure," Mookhey said.
Public schools
A total $8.9 billion package will either build new schools or upgrade some of the existing 2200 public schools across the state.
Another $1 billion will dramatically tackle a maintenance backlog, to fix issues like leaking roofs and broken bubblers, affecting state schools.
Schools in the Northern Beaches, Riverbank, The Ponds, Austral, Leppington, Googong and Yennora are also earmarked for upgrades.
"We are budgeting an extra $481.1 million so the NSW government funds its share of the resources kids need to get the world class education they deserve," Mookhey said.
Western Sydney
Western Sydney, the fastest-growing and most diverse region in the state, is the recipient of major funding towards infrastructure and transport under Mookhey's second budget.
The budget recognised the region as a focus, labelling it the "engine room" of the state's economy.
$2.1 billion will fund the second stage of the Parramatta Light Rail and an extra $1.1 billion will be invested into new roads and upgrade existing ones for the Western Sydney Airport.
Buses around the west will also partly benefit from a $24.7 million investment into new bus routes and increasing services.
