Master Builders has prepared this summary of the NSW State Government Budget for 2019-2020.

This update focuses on matters that are of particular significance to the NSW Building and Construction Industry.

The New South Wales 2019-20 Budget includes a $93.0 billion capital program of works over four years to 2022-23. This is the largest infrastructure commitment ever undertaken by a state government.

This Circular sets out a selection of the Major Capital Works and Infrastructure projects, by cluster. Regional and Western Sydney projects are summarised in the booklet ‘NSW Regions and Western Sydney’.  

Health ($10.1 billion)
Work on 29 hospitals and health facility projects to commence prior to March 2023. Selected Major Works include:

    Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital ($1.3 billion)
    Royal Prince Alfred Hospital ($750 million)
    John Hunter Health and Innovation Precinct ($780 million)
    Westmead Children’s Hospital ($619 million)
    Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick ($608 million)
    Ryde Hospital ($479 million)
    St George Hospital ($385 million)
    Sutherland Hospital ($81.5 million)
    Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital ($386m)
    Liverpool Hospital Car Park ($50 million)
    Concord Hospital Car Park ($32.4 million).

Transport ($55.6 billion)
Delivering over 3,500 road and rail projects including:

    Sydney Metro West ($6.4 billion)
    North-South Metro Rail Link ($2 billion)
    Princes Highway new upgrade ($960 million)
    Great Western Highway ($2.5 billion)
    Prospect Highway upgrade ($300 million)
    Regional road upgrades ($503 million)
    Major road upgrades ($175 million)
    Country bridges ($500 million)
    Reduce traffic congestion at pinch points across Sydney ($450 million)
    Repair, maintain and seal council roads ($500 million)
    New Commuter Car Parking at train stations ($300 million)
    Cycling and pedestrian infrastructure ($256 million).
 

Education ($6.7 billion)

    New TAFE Super Campus for Western Sydney, specialising in construction trades ($79.6 million).
    Construct eight new TAFE Connected Learning Centres in rural and regional locations ($61.7 million)
    Pilot program to support young people to build skills and get into a trade ($34 million).
    Expansion of Productivity Bootcamps to two new sites in Western Sydney and South Coast 
    TAFE - 70,000 fee-free traineeships to young job seekers
    Free TAFE qualifications and career counselling for 30,000 mature aged workers seeking to re-train.
    School infrastructure - build eight new schools and significantly upgrade a further 32 schools
    Capital works funding for non-government schools ($500 million)
    School maintenance in all public schools ($449 million)
    Other minor works such as new and existing community preschools.
 

Reform of the Building and Construction Industry

Mention is made in the ‘Election Commitments’ publication of the Budget regarding, of the appointment of a Building Commissioner. It describes the Commissioner as acting as ‘the consolidated building regulator in New South Wales with responsibilities to licence and audit practitioners’. No further detail is available at this stage.