Budget 2026-27

BUDGET 2026-27

Global events continue to impact family budgets. That’s why in this years State Budget the Minns Labor Government is providing practical support for the everyday costs families can’t avoid.

We know this won’t solve every cost-of-living challenge, but these measures are part of our plan to ease pressure on families now while we continue to deliver the schools, hospitals and roads you and your family rely on.

We understand the impact rising costs have on families every day. The Minns Labor Government is providing practical support to help with costs you can’t avoid, including:

$100 off vehicle registration coming straight off your next registration renewal notice.
Reducing the toll cap to $50 a week, providing immediate cost of living relief to motorists.
Freezing public transport fares, stopping CPI increases and ensuring you won’t pay more than $50 a week.
Helping families reduce their power bills through zero interest loans to install energy saving upgrades.

It’s part of our plan to ease some of the pressure on families, while we continue building the schools, hospitals and roads that you and your family rely on.

Cost of Living

$100 off vehicle registration
- Cuts from next registration renewal notice.
- Reflected in notices from late July
- Motorcycles registration will be reduced by $80
- Applicable to registrations which are due from 1 Sep 2026 to 31 Aug 2027
Freezing public transport fares
- Stopping CPI increases
- You won’t pay more than $50 per week
Zero interest loans
- Helps family reduce power bills
- To install energy saving upgrades

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR RIVERSTONE:

This is a practical win for Riverstone because so many locals drive, pay tolls, or travel long distances for work. The Budget includes a $561.4 million Transport Affordability Package, including:

Initiative	Benefit
Weekly toll cap temporarily reduced to $50 in 2026–27	Direct relief for regular toll users
$60 weekly toll cap made permanent from 1 January 2026	Longer-term certainty
$100 discount on private vehicle registration	Useful for car-dependent households
Opal fares frozen at 2025 prices	Helps commuters using metro, train and bus
Western Sydney toll relief already paid	More than $186 million across 543,000+ claims

Health

$10.3 billion invested in front-line healthcare workers
- To recruit 9, 000 extra staff
- Largest pay rise to nurses and midwives in over a decade
$11.9 billion invested in healthcare infrastructure
- To build 32 new and upgraded hospitals
- More than 2, 500 additional beds and treatment areas
Easier access to healthcare medication
- GPs can prescribe and diagnose ADHD medications
- Pharmacists can give flu vaccinations and prescribe skin treatments, UTI medications, contraceptive pill

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR RIVERSTONE:

The Budget continues delivery of the new $910 million Rouse Hill Hospital, described as the first new hospital in Western Sydney in more than 40 years. This is pivotal for Riverstone residents as it means more care closer to home instead of pushing families toward Blacktown, Westmead or Nepean. The Budget also links the hospital with major road upgrades around Windsor Road to make access safer and easier.

Beyond Rouse Hill Hospital, the Budget includes $3.8 billion over four years for new and upgraded hospitals in Western Sydney and more than 800 additional beds and treatment places across the region. Additionally, it prioritises pay rises for Western Sydney frontline workers, including nurses, police and teachers.

Domestic & Family Violence

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR RIVERSTONE:

$184.1 million invested in frontline services
- Boost caller capacity
- Support a sustainable workforce
- Provides access to critical support such as,
  - Crisis assistance
  - Counselling
  - Legal advocacy
  - Safety planning
- After-hours crisis support
- Special support for children and young people
- Investing in Men’s Behaviour Change program
  - Break the cycle of violence
  - Improve long-term outcomes
Builds onto ongoing projects
- Stronger domestic and family violence laws
  - Electronic monitoring
  - Tracking of serious domestic violence perpetrators on bail
- Making it harder for domestic violence perpetrators to get bail
  - Expanding categories of offence which challenge bail decisions
  - Ensuring it is the Magistrates of Judges who make bail decisions
- Targeting perpetrators who utilize coercive control
  - Strengthening stalking laws
  - Targeting perpetrators using tracking devices and/or surveillance

Education

In total: 3, 200 new classrooms across NSW
- 22 new Public High Schools
- 29 new Public Schools
- 100 new Preschools set to open in the next 18 months
  - Will be co-located on public school sites
  - Drives down costs for younger families
- 74 Major upgrades to Public Schools across NSW
25, 000 temporary teachers have become permanent
- Teacher vacancies have dropped below 1000 for the 1st time in 12 years
- 71% drop since their peak in 2022
- Students receive more time learning in class
- Receiving more one-on-one attention from teachers
- Increased teachers’ pay to attract best teachers & allow them to continue their hard work

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR RIVERSTONE:

The Budget includes $4.1 billion for new and upgraded schools in Western Sydney. Locally relevant projects include:

School Investment	Local Impact
Marsden Park South new primary school	Critical for one of the fastest-growing family suburbs
Marsden Park South co-located public early learning	Helps with early childhood access close to home
Tallawong High School	Major win for Tallawong, Schofields, The Ponds and Riverstone families
Nirimba Fields Public School	Supports the growing Nirimba Fields community
Grantham Farm primary school and co-located early learning	Direct growth-area response
The Ponds High School upgrade	Relief for existing school pressure
Rouse Hill High School upgrade	Supports the broader north-west student population
Bella Vista new high school and Bella Vista West new primary school	Helps nearby families and eases pressure across the Hills/north-west network