The NSW Budget handed down by Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has seen the Minns Government invest billions into housing, schools, transport infrastructure and renewable energy, with built environment professionals likely to benefit from the wealth of projects soon to be on offer within the state.

$2.2 billion in investment into new housing is complemented by the Faster Planning Program and Essential Housing package, which will immediately look at addressing supply. 

The multi-billion Housing and Infrastructure Plan will see $1.5 billion allocated towards housing related infrastructure through the Housing and Productivity Contribution. $300 million will go to Landcom to accelerate construction, with 30 percent reserved as affordable housing, while $400 million has been reserved in Restart NSW, which will unlock housing across the state.

In addition to the $300 million injection, Landcom will receive $60 million to trial build-to-rent projects in the Northern Rivers and Illawarra-Shoalhaven regions. Mookhey says he has high hopes for the public developer.

“NSW is in the midst of a fierce housing crisis,” he says. 

“It’s the start of what we intend for Landcom. We are wanting to be imaginative. It is a jewel that wasn’t privatised.”

Following a review of the Sydney Metro, the Minns Government has invested $72.3 billion into new and improved transport infrastructure. $1 billion will go towards the Sydney Metro City and Southwest to get the project back on track, as well as the funding of the Sydney Metro–Western Sydney Airport, with six new stations to service the future Western Sydney International Airport with $7.9 billion over four years. $200 million has been reserved to expedite the planning for the procurement, construction, and delivery of Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 for Western Sydney.

The Faster Planning Program, costing approximately $30 million, will see the establishment of a NSW Building Commission to support high quality housing, while $9.1 million will be set aside to assess housing supply opportunities across government-owned sites. The adoption of artificial intelligence to deliver planning system efficiencies is estimated to cost taxpayers $5.6 million. The Greater Cities Commission and Western Parkland City Authority will have their resources redirected in an effort to simplify the planning system.

A $224 million Essential Housing Package will finance the delivery of social, affordable and private homes in the regions. $35.3 million will provide housing services for First Nations families, with another $35 million to support critical social housing maintenance. A NSW Housing Fund will be allocated $15 million to urgently address priority housing and homelessness measures, with an intriguing Modular Housing Trial to deliver faster quality social housing following a $10 million injection.

Some $9.8 billion will fund the improvement of schools and TAFE statewide. 24 new and 51 upgraded primary and high schools will be completed over the next four years. 19 new and 35 upgraded schools will be completed in the regions. A $3.2 billion Disaster Relief Account will ensure towns will be well equipped financially to deal with inclement weather events, with $96.0 million given to the NSW Land and Housing Corporation to deliver social housing across flood impacted locations in Northern New South Wales.

"Today people in my old neighbourhood have very different jobs, but their ambitions and aspirations have stayed the same," Mookhey says.

"They expect honest businesses to make good profits, they expect their hard work to be rewarded with greater wealth and they extend the hand of friendship to those experiencing adversity.

"The budget I deliver is a budget driven by those values, made for a state who voted for an energetic government … with a vision for what this state can become."

To read the Budget in full, click here.