Bills
Appropriation (Recurrent 2025–26) Bill 2025
Appropriation (Capital 2025–26) Bill 2025
Second reading
Resumed from an earlier stage of the sitting.
Mr Mark Folkard (Mindarie) (6:00 pm): I will continue my speech from earlier on. Our citizens deserve to feel safe in their homes and on our streets, and we are delivering on that promise. Moreover, we have allocated $22 million to enhance road safety, focusing on hoon driving, to ensure we protect our families as they travel. Our commitment extends to bolstering emergency service response and capability with $23 million dedicated to a new career fire station at Yanchep—a place that apparently does not exist; I will take people to task on that!
We have allocated $15 million towards the Wanneroo emergency service management complex and $23 million to modernise our emergency service radio network. We will be equipping our first responders with the resources they need to protect and serve our communities effectively. This commitment is personally important to me. I do not talk about this often, but I am back fighting fires again. For the past three years in the summer, I have been quietly requalifying myself and attending the most serious bushfires in the metropolitan and peri-urban areas. Communication on the fireground saves lives. The emergency service radio network is critical for our first responders. I look forward to encountering fewer black spots and having effective radio communications when we need it. Thank you, Treasurer. This is not a big monetary commitment, but for our first responders it will make my community and my colleagues safer, so thank you.
I would like to pass on my gratitude to the Quinns Calisthenics Club for its generous investment in the wellbeing and development of our community's youth. My government's commitment to purchase costumes and uniforms valued at $10,000 demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to fostering talent and teamwork and self-confidence among our young participants. Calisthenics Callisthenics is more than just a sport. It is a beautiful amalgamation of dance, gymnastics, theatrics—I trip over that word all the time—and performance, which encourages physical fitness, artistic expression and collaboration. Through the grace of movement and the power of teamwork, callisthenics instils life skills into our children, such as discipline, resilience and camaraderie. It serves as a foundation for healthy living and nurtures young minds and bodies in an engaging and supportive environment.
Under the leadership of President Rebecca Collins and a dedicated team, including Angela Miller, the Quinns Calisthenics Club has become a beacon of excellence in my community. Its unwavering commitment to provide a quality experience for our families is commendable. The club creates a safe, welcoming space for children where they can thrive and make lifelong friendships and build a strong sense of belonging. The impact of this club extends far beyond the dance floor. It reaches into the homes of families, fostering unity and support, as parents cheer on their children and share in their achievements. As they don their new costumes and uniforms, our young athletes will not only feel a sense of pride, but also value teamwork and perseverance in other aspects of their lives. Members, I wish to recognise the invaluable contribution that the Quinns Calisthenics Club provides in supporting initiatives that provide positive community engagement. Together, let us continue this investment in our youth and celebrate organisations that uplift our families. I thank the Quinns Calisthenics Club for its generosity and dedication to our future young leaders. Its efforts truly make a difference in the lives of many.
I stand before members filled with gratitude and admiration for an extraordinary group that embodies the spirit of adventure in my community. It is the Kinross Scout Group. It is with great pleasure I extend a heartfelt thanks to this remarkable organisation that the Cook Labor government made a commitment to provide training equipment, marquees and laptops, valued at an impressive $6,000. This contribution will empower our young adventurers to take their scouting experience to new heights, enabling them to engage in online badge recording and hone their skills in a modern and innovative way. I must highlight the outstanding leadership of Gordon Durant, John Philippa and Keith Griffin. Their dedication and unwavering commitment to nurturing the next generation of leaders and explorers is commendable. They have not only equipped these young scouts with the tools that they need, but also instilled in them the values of teamwork, resilience and curiosity. As our children embark on their scouting journeys, they will carry with them the lessons they learn and the experiences they gain through their leaders' guidance. The leaders' efforts are helping to shape confident, capable individuals, who will surely make a positive impact on our communities and beyond. Let us take a moment to celebrate the Kinross Scout Group and its imaginative leaders. Together, let us continue to support our youth with their daring pursuits, for they are the trailblazers of tomorrow. Thank you to Kinross Scout Group for its passion, generosity and commitment to adventure. It is commendable.
I wish to extend a heartfelt thankyou to the incredible Quinns Rocks Youth In Emergency Service Cadets. Thanks to their dedication and hard work, these young heroes are now better equipped to serve our community, which is also thanks to the generous commitment of communication equipment, including radios, GPS units and a tablet by my government. I am thrilled to announce that the Quinns Rocks Youth In Emergency Service Cadets will receive $20,000 for these much-needed upgrades. This investment will not only enhance its operational capabilities, but also boost its confidence and readiness to respond in times of need. I would like to give a special shout-out to Stephen Faulkner, the chief instructor, and all the other instructors and helpers who contribute their time and effort to make their program a success. Their commitment to mentoring and guiding our youth is truly commendable. Together, they are not just teaching kids skills; they are instilling the values of teamwork, resilience and community service in the leaders of tomorrow. Thank you once again to everyone involved. Your support is making a real difference, and I cannot wait to see the positive impact that these cadets will have in our community. Let us continue to support and celebrate the amazing work being done by the Quinns Rocks Youth In Emergency Service cadets, our newest apprentice orange angels and volunteer firefighters.
For those who do not know me, I am an old surf lifesaver. I think it is my 45th year—do not quote me—on the beach. I am the patron of the Quinns Mindarie Surf Life Saving Club, but I am also still an active member. I am a patrol captain and an active participant. I would like to recognise the newly elected president, Richard Lissett; Rachel Quirk; and Simon Brigham for their leadership of the club. With that, I wish to recognise my heartfelt gratitude to the Quinns Mindarie Surf Life Saving Club for its unwavering commitment to the safety and wellbeing of my community. The upgrades and refurbishments to its facility are not just improvements; they are testament to the dedication and resilience of a remarkable organisation. Thanks to the generous support from our government of the first aid room upgrades, the club will now boost an enhanced medical storage system, new external doors for emergency service accesses and central electrical and plumbing upgrades. These enhancements will ensure the club is fully equipped to deliver first aid services vital for beachgoers' safety. It is with immense pride that I recognise the Quinns Mindarie Surf Life Saving Club for being awarded the title of the best patrolling club on the entire coastline of WA last year.
An anecdote that is a direct reflection on its tireless efforts and bravery is the heroic rescue of a gentleman who had broken his neck in the surf. Such actions exemplify the spirit of community, service and dedication that defines the club. As we move forward, I am confident that these upgrades will empower the Quinns Mindarie Surf Life Saving Club to continue its exceptional work, ensuring safety on our beaches and the wellbeing of those who visit them. It is with pride that I reflect to the house that no-one has died between the red and yellow flags in Western Australia for the last 120 years. The red and yellow colours are iconic to the Australian vernacular. All its awards are earned and not just handed out. I thank the Quinns Mindarie Surf Life Saving Club for its service to our community. Its commitment is an inspiration to us all.
Today I stand before members to highlight the remarkable contributions of the Mindarie Mustangs, Clarkson Cougars and Quinns Rocks Sharks Little Athletics Clubs. These little athletics clubs are a tribute to our youth. Those organisations embody the spirit of teamwork, discipline and resilience that is essential to the development of our young children. I am thrilled to announce that those clubs have been awarded $15,000 worth of new equipment. This is a significant investment that will provide our young athletes with the tools so that they can excel and, more importantly, nurture their confidence and perseverance. The impact of this new equipment will be felt on not only the field, but in the lives of the children as they learn valuable kills as young athletes.
I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated parents and office bearers, like our presidents of these clubs, including Narelle Cooper, Caelee Hatchett, Christine Timms and Jodie Williamson. Their leadership and commitment in fostering a positive environment for our youth is commendable. They have built safe spaces so that our children can thrive, learn and develop the resilience that will serve them beyond their sporting years. The importance of little athletics cannot be overstated. It is not merely about competition; it is about cultivating character, building friendship and encouraging lifelong physical activity. These clubs play a critical role in shaping the next generation, teaching our children values of hard work, dedication and sportsmanship. As we move forward, let us continue to support our local little athletics clubs and ensure that our children have access to the resources they need to succeed. Together we can create a brighter future for our youth, one that empowers them to dream big and achieve goals. With the Olympics coming to Australia in, I think, 2034, our little athletics champions of today will be our Olympians of tomorrow.
I wish to recognise an important milestone in this budget in the ongoing development of Kinross College. It is a milestone that reflects not only our commitment to education, but also highlights the collaborative efforts of our community over the past five years. I am pleased to announce that the Cook government has allocated $30 million for the much-needed upgrades for the facilities of our years 11 and 12 students. This funding is a significant step forward for the longstanding vision to transition Kinross College from the previous years 7 to 10 model to a fully-fledged years 7 to 12 institution. This five-year journey has been characterised by tenacity, dedication and a resolute commitment to improving education outcomes for our young people.
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of the college leadership group that has tirelessly championed this cause under the astute guidance of Dale Beaton, John Avenel, David Sharp, Craig Ventham and Genevieve Walia. Geoff Lummis, the board chair, has worked diligently to advocate the needs of our students and navigate the complex issues of this transition. Their commitment to excellence in education has led to unwavering support from our community. It has been critical in achieving these upgrades. This $30 million investment will enable the college to enhance its facilities, providing our students with a modern, state-of-the-art learning environment that will support their academic pursuits and personal growth. This upgrade is an investment in not only infrastructure, but also the future of our students by equipping them with the tools they need to succeed in an increasingly competitive environment. I extend my heartfelt thanks to all stakeholders involved in this journey, including the parents, teachers and community members who have supported this initiative. Their voices have been heard and today we celebrate the collective victory for Kinross College. Together, let us continue to advocate for the best possible education outcomes for our children, ensuring that they have access to the resources and support they need to thrive.
I would also like to advise the house that this budget highlights an important issue that underscores the commitment of fostering physical education and healthy lifestyles among our youth.
(Member's time extended.)
Mr Mark Folkard: I am pleased to announce that the Cook Labor government will be investing $650,000 to upgrade the netball surfaces at Quinns Rocks Primary School and Kinross Primary School. These enhancements will not only benefit our students, but also support the broader community by providing safe, versatile sporting facilities. At Quinns Rocks Primary School under the leadership of principal Robert Croft, the school has demonstrated a strong commitment to physical education. The upgraded netball surfaces, with an investment of $400,000, will enhance the students' ability to engage in basketball, netball and other sports without the risk of injury, promoting a safe participation for physical activities. Similarly, at Kinross Primary School, principal Therese Gordon has fostered a vibrant physical education curriculum that encourages students to develop athletics skills and embrace a healthy lifestyle. The $250,000 investment to upgrade its netball surfaces will provide students with the necessary environment in which to thrive in their sporting pursuits. I would like to commend principals Robert Croft and Therese Gordon for their unwavering dedication to enhancing the education experience for their students. Their leadership has been pivotal in creating an environment in which physical education is valued and prioritised.
I will bring my response to a conclusion. This budget is more than just about numbers on a page; it is a bold declaration of our priorities and our vision for the future. Together, we are investing in our people of the state, supporting families, enhancing health services, and ensuring the safety of our communities. Let us stand united in a commitment to building a better and safer tomorrow for all Western Australians.
I commend the bills to the house.
Mr Lachlan Hunter (Central Wheatbelt) (6:18 pm): I rise today to put on the record in my budget reply speech on the Appropriation (Capital 2025–26) Bill 2025 and the Appropriation (Recurrent 2025–26) Bill 2025 what a disastrous budget this is for regional Western Australia and what a disastrous budget it is for agriculture and our farming communities. As the shadow Minister for Agriculture and Food, we have been looking through the budget papers to see where this Labor government has put its dirty little fingers on the agricultural industry. We found some quite alarming figures—or not so alarming figures, because there were none—in this state budget. We have to ask ourselves as members of this place: Why do we have budgets? I know that the Deputy Premier and Premier-in-waiting was quick to say that the government would deliver a budget within the first 100 days of the Labor government. That is what she tasked for her ministers so they could say they were going to deliver on their election commitments. However, when it comes to the second-largest exporting industry in our state, the industry right behind the resources industry, we found very, very little. The reason for that is that over 100 days ago, when the WA Labor government went to the people of Western Australia, the government failed to provide the people of regional Western Australia and Western Australia with an agricultural policy.
It is no wonder that there is nothing in this budget for agriculture, because the Labor Party could not even provide a comprehensive policy for the second-largest exporting industry in the state of Western Australia.
I will go through some of the non-commitments that the opposition has found. Why did the Labor government do so poorly in regional WA just over 100 years ago? It is because it gave the people of Western Australia nothing to vote for when it comes to agriculture. The Minister for Agriculture and Food, Hon Jackie Jarvis, in the other place, has been missing in action on probably three key areas, and I will go through those in my speech this evening.
The government loves to talk about, and over the last couple of days has been obsessed with, merits. Government members should go and jump in a farm ute out in regional WA and have a look in the rear-view mirror. If they look in the rear-view mirror at what their government has presided over with agriculture in this state, they will see that it is quite disgraceful. In fact, in the rear-view mirror, they might find they see some former members of Parliament, like Hon Darren West, who was, you know, purported to be the only Labor Party member of Parliament who was a working farmer. However, as the member for Roe, the Deputy Leader of the Nationals WA, said some time ago, he was quoted in The West Australian saying that half of the state of WA's landmass, the good people who live in the federal electorate of O'Connor, represented by my electorate of Central Wheatbelt, the member for Roe's electorate, the member for Albany's electorate and the member for Warren–Blackwood's electorate, was, and I quote, Mr Speaker, the dumbest electorate in Australia represented by the dumbest MP. From that, we can understand why this government got an absolute flogging in the bush. It did not have policy and its advocates, like the former member of the other place, gave a glowing reference to the people of regional Western Australia—he called them dumb! He called them dumb, so it is no wonder they did not vote for him!
Going through the budget line item by line item, we can see the sneaky cuts being made by this government. The Grower Group Alliance is a very good organisation made up of farm group members and people who are looking at regional research and development. It got $750,000 in the 2024–25 budget, but they have nothing going forward. It has been funded by consecutive governments in the past, but there is nothing for the Grower Group Alliance.
What about the sheep and goat eID rollout? For members who are not aware, the government has forced growers right around our state to have electronic eartags on sheep and goats for the likes of traceability and making sure that there is stock management. The government has forced this program on farmers, particularly sheep farmers, but has not put any money in the budget for 2024, 2025 and 2026. There is nothing in the budget for sheep farmers affected by the mandated government eID program. The Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA, WAFarmers and a lot of other people have been calling for funding for an extended time, but again this minister and government have not listened to or met with them. The minister is always too busy.
This is something that affects not just regional members of Parliament but every single member of Parliament. As a child growing up in regional Western Australia, my old man, Greg, was right into his chooks. In fact, Mr Speaker, his nickname is "Pecker" because he likes to show old English game chooks. He is a life member of the Bruce Rock and Districts Agricultural Society, and it was really a family gathering for us, like many other Western Australian families, to go to the Perth Royal Show. It was a really good opportunity for people right across our state, particularly our cousins in the metropolitan area, to go and experience agriculture in the city. I am sad that the member for Cottesloe is not here because those great showgrounds are within her electorate. But this sneaky government has no money in the budget for Perth Royal Show concessions. If kids want to go to the Perth Royal Show this year, they will have to pay full price. The government is obsessed with building a racetrack in Burswood that nobody wants, but has no concessions for people wanting to go to the Perth Royal Show.
The government talks about how the Nationals WA loves to divide rural people and metropolitan people, and loves to talk about the country–city divide. You would think that this is a perfect example—a two-week show that showcases the state's amazing agricultural sector—but the state government did not think it was an appropriate enough measure to put in the budget. This is a government with all the wrong priorities when it comes to agriculture, and it goes to show that it just does not understand.
While I am on the topic of the Royal Agricultural Society, it is at the moment home—talking about chook sheds—to the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development headquarters. We have had a biosecurity event in Western Australia with a polyphagous shot-hole borer infestation within our state. It is the largest biosecurity event our state, and our nation I might add, has ever seen, and the government's priority is to house the good working public servants of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development in a chook shed in the royal showgrounds! Again, we went over the budget papers with a fine toothcomb to see where the Messiah building at Murdoch University is that the Minister for Agriculture and Food talks about. Well, it was apparently too big for Murdoch, so we have no numbers in the budget to house this very essential government department. Opposition members will continue to raise these issues and ensure that the Cook Labor government is aware that the second-biggest exporting industry has a department that needs a place to call home, and we will also ensure that come the 2029 state election, the WA Labor Party will put a comprehensive agricultural policy to the people of Western Australia—but we will not hold our breath.
Mr Speaker, we know the government's track record when it comes to the live animal export trade. This trade impacts not only my electorate of Central Wheatbelt, but also many parts of rural and regional Western Australia. We know that the Labor Party took up the policy to phase out the live sheep trade in 2028 because it did a very dirty preference deal with the Animal Justice Party in Victoria. That is the reason. It has now been revealed that the Labor Party bosses did a preference deal for a federal by-election in Victoria, part of which was that the Labor Party had to make a commitment to shut down a viable, legitimate and very worthy industry to the state of Western Australia. We thought: Why would the government of Western Australia sit there and do that? We heard the Premier and the agriculture minister say they took it to the election campaign and would be doing what is right for WA. But when it came to agriculture and the live sheep trade, they were missing in action. It was revealed today why they have been missing in action. When the Leader of the Nationals WA was the Leader of the Opposition, we did an FOI claim on correspondence from the then Federal Minister for Agriculture, Senator Murray Watt, and Hon Jackie Jarvis when it came to looking after the state of Western Australia and whether Jackie Jarvis, in the other place, picked up the phone and said to Minister Watt, "We're not going to support this" or "We want the support package that you're giving to farmers to be a lot higher." We never saw that. In fact, it took the Minister for Agriculture and Food in this state over six weeks to have any sort of correspondence with the then federal Minister for Agriculture. One would think that a cabinet minister of the Crown of this state, who had a grubby minister come over from Canberra and make decisions to end an industry in their state, would just send him a text, would they not—a WhatsApp? If they were going to be catching up with each other at the ALP conference in Canberra, would the minister not say, "Senator, let's have a chat about this"? But we heard nothing. There was silence.
The federal government has now given the agriculture ministry to a Tasmanian member of Parliament called Julie Collins, and she has appointed a transition advocate. That is another woke word that is probably used by the Labor Party policy team to get Animal Justice Party votes. That person is called a transition advocate. He is probably paid a nice healthy sum of money. That independent appointment by the federal government will oversee the rollout of the transition plan and the $139.7 million package from the federal government, which is a pittance, I might add. This gentleman, Dr Chris Rodwell, was appointed five months ago. To be fair, the federal government won the election and has a mandate to end the live sheep trade. It took that to the people and the people spoke. So, as a cooperative opposition and as a cooperative shadow minister, I picked up the phone to Dr Chris Rodwell and said, "I'd like to have a meeting with you. As a Western Australian member of Parliament who represents these communities in this place, I want to see more money put on the table for our farmers, our shearers, our schoolchildren and the communities that this is going to devastate. I want to have a meeting with you to discuss this." I met with him this morning here in Parliament House. To my amazement, he informed me that he had not yet secured a meeting with the WA Minister for Agriculture and Food. This guy has been in the role for five months—147 days have passed since Dr Chris Rodwell was appointed as the transition advocate. He lives here in Western Australia. It is not like he is a fly-in bureaucrat from Canberra; he lives in Western Australia. This is going to cost Western Australians 3,000 jobs, yet our own agriculture minister could not even find time in her very busy diary to meet with Dr Chris Rodwell. That is a disgrace. We know why there was no money in the budget for agriculture. It is because the government had no plan and no policy. It did not even put in any money to top up the $139.7 million. There was no line item in the budget for state government money to top up what the federal government is doing. It is a shame.
Hours before the Deputy Premier; Treasurer; Minister for Transport; Sport and Recreation rose and delivered her speech, we saw a very shameful chapter in Western Australia's agricultural history. We saw the government of Western Australia raise the white flag on polyphagous shot-hole borer. We heard it say that it had given up on ensuring that it does not reach an infestation stage but remains in a control phase. We get a lot of commentary from stakeholders and people within the department—trusted sources who talk to the opposition—and it was staggering to be told that the government of Western Australia may well have known about this well before a couple of hours before it was due to deliver the state budget. We will find this out through other means, such as in the media or the estimates process. This is a biosecurity failure. The Leader of the Opposition, the member for Geraldton as the shadow Minister for Local Government and I have called on the agriculture minister to please explain. She has a track record of failing to stand up for Western Australia's sheep industry. She now has a track record of failing on biosecurity. The Labor Party did not have an agricultural policy at the last election. There is no parliamentary secretary to assist what seems to be a very busy minister. Maybe the Premier could reconsider giving a parliamentary secretary to a minister as busy as this Minister for Agriculture and Food, who could not even meet with Dr Chris Rodwell 147 days after his appointment.
We have to go back to the live export debacle and why this Labor government just rolled over to Canberra. We must ask why. There is one thing in the budget, and that is funding of $22.7 million over five years to the RSPCA. That once esteemed organisation will get $22.7 million. That is basically to outsource animal welfare compliance. If we look through the donations register of the Animal Justice Party, which has now had someone elected to the other place, we will see the RSPCA's links to this activist group. The RSPCA, which is now known as an activist organisation, is looking after the implementation of animal welfare in the state of WA. I will just let that sink in for a little while. It is something that people who have livestock on their farms or live in regional Western Australia should be very worried about.
This government is obsessed with racetracks, riverfront boardwalks and inner-city cycleways. Do members know what? The Wheatbelt, regional Western Australia and our agricultural industry get crumbs. Agrifood is WA's third-largest export after minerals and LNG. It is the largest non–resource sector exporter in our state, yet this is what it gets. Labor clearly only governs for postcodes that start with "60". If you have a "64" at the front of your postcode, you are on your own. As I said, agriculture is underwriting 40,000 regional jobs in Western Australia. It is injecting billions of dollars into the state's coffers. The government of Western Australia is using that money, but it is stripping funding from our grower groups, walking away from our live export industry and all those workers, and waving the white flag on biosecurity. Labor has proved it is no friend of the bush. It is an active threat to our food security and regional prosperity. This budget is not focused on agriculture; it is focused on a racetrack in Burswood.
Ms Caitlin Collins (Hillarys—Parliamentary Secretary) (6:37 pm): I rise to also make a contribution to the debate on the Appropriation (Recurrent 2025–26) Bill 2025 and the Appropriation (Capital 2025–26) Bill 2025. As we have heard quite a bit over the last week, we live in a world of global uncertainty defined by the headlines of supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressures, climate instability and, of course, rapidly evolving international conflict. It may not be the unprecedented times of COVID, but it is in times like these that the true test of economic leadership is whether governments can steer a steady course, not just through numbers on the ballot sheet, but also by actually delivering real and tangible outcomes for working families and communities across Western Australia. As we have heard, Western Australia remains the economic powerhouse of the nation. We are one of only a few jurisdictions to hold a Aaa credit rating and also deliver a seventh consecutive surplus. This is not fiscal luck as the opposition suggests; it is deliberate, disciplined economic stewardship. We have seen Liberal Premiers and Treasurers squander the benefits of mining royalties in the past, leaving behind debt and missed opportunities.
Of course, budget surpluses and a Aaa credit rating matter only if they actually translate into better schools, safer streets, stronger communities and new opportunities for Western Australians. For the Hillarys electorate, it is why we can invest directly into these areas without having to hand the bill to future generations. As our Treasurer said, the budget delivers on the vision that we took to the March state election. It is one that promises and prioritises housing, health, jobs and essential infrastructure. It is a budget that once again will deliver real outcomes for my electorate of Hillarys through strategic investment. For too long, my electorate was neglected by various Liberal MPs. In the four years since I was elected to Parliament in 2021, our community has finally received the attention and investment it so deserves, and this budget demonstrates that that will continue for another four years.
I take this opportunity, as others have, to highlight this year's budget and how it will impact the people of the Hillarys electorate. Every single one of my election commitments has been funded in the 2025–26 state budget. There is no way I will be able to mention all these election commitments as I am conscious that other members want to speak. If members opposite want to know what our values are, they should look at where we invest. I found it quite interesting that the opposition made such a fuss about the $40 million in the Public Education Endowment Trust. The trust's original purpose was to insulate education from budget costs. It is irrelevant in 2025 when the government has committed $1.8 billion in this budget alone to our education and training system, ensuring that every child, wherever they live, is not tied up in bureaucratic relics. In the Hillarys electorate alone, the government's record investments in schools outweighs that $40 million. Ocean Reef Senior High School will receive a transformative $30 million upgrade—new STEM labs, industry-standard home economics spaces and a brand new classroom block. This will change how 1,200 students experience learning and equip them with the tools that they need to survive in tomorrow's economy.
The government will deliver $18 million to Belridge Secondary College, another senior high school in my electorate, for a new sports and science centre, which has been widely welcomed by the community. When I was recently at a music festival in Hillarys, I saw a bunch of people smiling and waving at me. I went over to them to see whether I knew them. They were five sports teachers from Belridge Secondary College who were absolutely delighted to tell me just how excited they are about this new state-of-the-art, long-awaited facility. In fact, their excitement inspired me to reach out to the school to find out how others felt about this commitment. Principal Sharon Lyon said that it will not only enhance the school's cricket and netball specialist programs but provide students with unparalleled opportunities to excel in sports and academics. Scott Ogilvie, the school's cricket coordinator for over 20 years, said that it is the next step in helping students achieve their dreams. Janneke Markovic, who leads the netball program, said the new centre will be a game changer, eliminating weather disruptions and access barriers and it will give students the tools they need to succeed. Even some of the students jumped in and agreed. Holly, a year 9 netballer, said it will create a safe and supportive environment in which to stay active all year round. Kingston, a year 7 cricketer, said that the students will be able to use the indoor cricket nets during the off-season and keep up their skills all year.
It is not just high schools in the Hillarys electorate, though, that are receiving funding in this year's state budget. Every single primary school will also receive funding for targeted upgrades to ensure that every child starts their journey with access to vibrant and inclusive learning environments. There are too many schools to go through, but a stand-out is the $1 million dedicated to an undercroft transformation at Bambara Primary School. As a teacher, I know the importance and power of a well-resourced school. I have seen the difference that it can make to not only a child's confidence and learning experience, but also teachers' creativity and a school's general community pride.
I will very briefly mention some school-related cost-of-living initiatives. Under the WA student assistance payment, families will receive $150 for every primary student and $250 for every high school student. This has been warmly welcomed by many, many families in my community and others across WA.
I also want to mention the free full-time kindy announcement. We announced this a couple of weeks before the election in the Hillarys electorate. We announced it there because I will hopefully be one of the 10 schools that will get the trial. This trial is to increase kindy access to five days a week, providing families with that optional early learning experience and opportunity for their child. It has generated lots of commentary in my electorate. Some people are for it and some are against it. It is important to note that this is a trial and, more importantly, is optional. It gives families a choice and allows them to balance their work and family life but also their budget.
Strong communities are built in the spaces between schools and homes—in clubrooms, community centres and beaches, just to name a few. That is why this budget delivers in my electorate for places where people often connect. We are investing $14.1 million in Hillarys Boat Harbour to revitalise the old Hillarys Great Escape site. This has sat vacant for a number of years, and I am constantly getting asked by constituents what is going to go there. We are looking at a modern youth or family plaza—think a skate park and climbing walls similar to Scarborough and perhaps a half basketball court and seating areas. All of this will come down to community consultation. Locals will have the opportunity to have their say in what will go there. It will also definitely have a universal access toilet and family change room, as well as upgraded fishing platforms. I believe locals and tourists alike will be really proud of this while we work towards the longer term strategic master plan.
Another local club that received funding was the North Shore Community Club. It received $2.5 million to strengthen its delivery for health and wellbeing services. This place in Kallaroo really is the heart of my electorate and it has become a meeting place for all. Whether one is a member or not, there are opportunities there to sit, do free yoga, have a coffee with friends or have your kids play on the tennis courts. There is live music every weekend and there are markets. It really is just an incredible hub.
Whitford Senior Citizens Centre will receive $120,000 for upgrades that will combat isolation amongst our older residents. I will mention the Padbury Scouts and Craigie Girl Guides, which will be getting $10,000 to upgrade their camping gear. I note that many of those families are pleased that we have extended the $300 KidSport voucher to include scouts and guides. I have many sports clubs across my electorate, so I will not mention them all. Whether they are for soccer, footy, hockey, athletics, callisthenics or surfing, I was able to make a commitment that has now been fully funded in the 2025 state budget to each of these places. These are not just sporting clubs, they really are places that support mental health, reduce isolation and build resilience amongst our young people but also adults as well.
I want to make note of the $1.2 million to expand and refurbish Mullaloo Surf Life Saving Club. Surf clubs are not sporting clubs. They are vital facilities and organisations. They are critical infrastructure that keep our beaches safe in the northern suburbs. Sorrento Surf Club will be getting a new vehicle to continue delivering best practice safety along the coast. That is on top of the $8 million delivered at the 2021 state election.
I do not have much time. We are often surprised about which of our commitments do really well when we post about them on social media. It baffles me that we can announce $50 million for X project and two people might engage with it. One particular post I put up was about none other than a roundabout, and it generated over 200 comments from people in the community. They were mostly positive, though there is a niche group of people that just really hate roundabouts.
I have to say that it was overwhelmingly—
Mr Scott Leary: I'm one of them.
Ms Caitlin Collins: The member is one of them.
It really did strike a chord. It was a $3.5 million commitment to upgrade the intersection on Whitfords Avenue outside Craigie Leisure Centre. Roundabouts are expensive these days, but it is more than just a roundabout; it will also realign where people enter and exit Craigie Leisure Centre from Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park. That is really important for safety. I know firsthand how dangerous it is trying to get in and out of that leisure centre. Who knew that that would be my most popular commitment, more so than a skate park at the harbour or $30 million for the local high school?
Mrs Lisa Munday: Or baked beans on toast.
Ms Caitlin Collins: Yes, that is right.
We have also committed to new two new signalised pedestrian crossings on Whitfords Avenue and West Coast Drive. They will really complement the Hillarys Boat Harbour commitment I mentioned. They will allow kids and the elderly and everyone in between to get to the harbour safely.
In this budget we introduced the one-zone flat fare of $2.80, which will come into effect next year, making public transport more affordable and accessible to all Western Australians.
I need to make note of the hooning package that has been funded in this year's budget. Nothing makes people feel more unsafe on their own streets than reckless driving; and, if not reckless driving, just the sheer noise that this type of driving sometimes produces. We delivered $22.5 million in this budget to crack down on hooning. I was really pleased that this was announced in my electorate of Hillarys, which will be the first to host the trial of noise-activated cameras. These cameras will help WA police detect and prosecute hoons, collecting real-time evidence so they can get those dangerous vehicles off the road. I want to thank the thousands of residents who participated in my hoon surveys over the years so I could try to understand just how severe this problem was in my community. It complemented other measures. The package includes new "post and boast" laws, which we announced this week, which can relate to hooning but also other criminal behaviour, with tougher penalties for reckless speeding. The CCTV network at Hillarys Boat Harbour will also complement this suite of announcements.
I want to point out that we are not coming after car enthusiasts. When I announced this measure during the election, a lot of people who love their loud engines thought that this would be the death of their hobby. This measure is really about those individuals who deliberately disrupt community peace and quiet in large groups at a time. We are not coming after one individual in the car they so love.
I will wrap this up because I know others want to speak. This budget really does deliver for Hillarys and for the future of our state, from community sports to hospital beds, safer roads, cleaner energy—a lot of those things I did not even get the chance to speak to. For my part, I will just keep doing what I have always done, which is advocating fiercely for my community, making sure that the Hillarys electorate is heard and delivering real outcomes for the people I am so proud to represent.
Mr Bevan Eatts (Warren–Blackwood) (6:53 pm): I rise as the member for Warren–Blackwood, shadow Minister for Forestry; Aged Care. Earlier today, the member for Mandurah offered to write me a speech but he has not delivered it so I will have to go with my own. I thank the member very much for the generous offer.
Mr Rhys Williams: Do you want this? It's ready to go.
Mr Bevan Eatts: No, I will stick with this one. Thank you.
Let me begin by acknowledging the significant time and effort that goes into preparing a state budget. To the Treasurer, the Premier and all the ministers, I appreciate the work your teams have done across government departments. I also acknowledge the input from Western Australians right across the state who continue to advocate for better services and stronger communities. This is my first state budget. I recognise its size, complexity and the many competing pressures we have to balance. There are certainly elements of the budget that deserve to be recognised. I welcome the focus on Made in WA, and I hope that this not only supports mining and manufacturing but also extends to our farmers—the people who grow our food and fibre, who manage our landscapes and who underpin our regional economies. I support the emphasis on increasing housing availability but note that the success of this goal relies on reducing the wait times for essential services like power, sewerage and water connections, especially in the regions. I welcome the investment in telehealth, as it has the potential to increase access to medical support and relieve pressure on overstretched regional medical systems, but I urge caution. Telehealth should complement, not replace, locally based face-to-face health care, particularly in emergency departments, hospitals and aged-care services. I welcome the ongoing commitment to sport and recreation, particularly in regional WA. Sporting clubs and recreational groups are more than just pastimes; they are community hubs and they promote mental health, physical wellbeing and social connection. These investments matter.
As I said, this is my first state budget, so if I have missed something, I apologise in advance. My team and I have gone through the budget papers, the regional snapshots and the election commitments, and something is very clear: Warren–Blackwood has been overlooked. I am not just saying this as a new member looking to make a point; I am saying it because during my election campaign, I had hundreds of conversations with local families, business owners, community volunteers, shires and service providers. Based on those conversations, I know that many of the funding requests I will highlight today had already been raised with the former member for Warren–Blackwood and with the ministers and their respective government departments—repeatedly on many occasions. So I am surprised and disappointed that these priorities have not been addressed.
Today I want to do two things. Firstly, I want to highlight the promises made but not funded in this budget. Secondly, I want to shine a light on the critical needs that have been completely left out. It is possible that some of these projects are wrapped into broader budget allocations. If so, that is welcome. But I want to make sure that they are on the record, because if they have been overlooked, we need to correct that. To the government, I ask: for the things that it has promised, please honour them and make sure that they are fully funded and, for the things that were not promised but are desperately needed, please consider including them. What we are asking for in Warren–Blackwood is not aspirational; it is essential. We are talking about health, education, affordable housing and road safety—just the basics.
Let me start with the promises that were made but were not included as specific line items in the 2025–26 budget. There is $12 million for a new classroom block at Cowaramup Primary School, $400,000 for a car park at Denmark Primary School, $1.25 million for the Manjimup Rea Park and Collier Street redevelopment and $5 million for a new Margaret River Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service Station. The following two items were catch-alls in the vision for the South West, Vasse and Warren–Blackwood, published in February 2025 as election promises: support for affordable regional childcare services and a commitment to deliver urgent care clinics in the regions to relieve pressure on emergency departments. How much of this was allocated to Warren–Blackwood and is it even included in the budget? These are not luxury items; they are necessary to keep up with population growth, to support families and to ensure that communities are safe and livable. I respectfully ask that these projects are clearly funded and delivered as promised by the Labor government in the lead-up to the 2025 state election.
Now let me turn to the things that were not included at all. These are the projects and needs that the Warren–Blackwood community has raised time and again, yet they have been left out. Overtaking lanes are needed between Manjimup and Bridgetown, a major freight and tourist route, yet $36 million has been removed from South West regional road funding in this budget.
Margaret River Hospital needs an upgrade. A growing region needs a hospital that can grow with it. However, no funding has been allocated to start the work. Everyone will be over the moon when I say the next one—stage 2 of the Margaret River Senior High School expansion. The school was built for 650 students and is now hosting over 1,200. I am trying to implement the rope learning with that one! There are still no plans for funding for the completion of this critical expansion. Bridgetown Hospital's emergency department's roof is leaking and needs reroofing. The hospital was previously promised $1 million for reroofing, but this funding is now nowhere to be seen. There have been funding cuts to Rural West, which reduces this important service's ability to provide financial counselling to small businesses in the regions. Boyup Brook District High School's toilet blocks are run-down, the showers have no doors and there is no hot water. That is completely unacceptable in 2025. The Boyup Brook recreation centre is not fit for purpose and is increasingly unable to meet community demand. Finally, I give a broader call to the government to invest in infrastructure to support regional growth and tourism, especially in towns like Cowaramup and Denmark, where population growth is outpacing infrastructure.
What surprises me the most is this. For the past four years, Warren–Blackwood was held by Labor. During that time, the former member for Warren–Blackwood made many visits and spoke often about advocacy and representation, yet here we are. After four years of Labor, these basic community needs remain unaddressed. Today, I ask this government to think of the people of Warren–Blackwood. They are not asking for more than anyone else; they are asking for equality of access to affordable housing, education, health care and safe roads. The government is investing millions to attract tourists to our region, and we welcome that, but if it is going to bring people in, it must invest in the infrastructure that will make it work. The government cannot have it both ways. It cannot promote regional growth and then fail to fund the services to underpin it. These are the questions that I will be raising in next week's budget estimate hearings.
As shadow Minister for Forestry, I must also express deep concern at the lack of financial transparency and operational accountability in the forestry portfolio, particularly regarding the ecological thinning program. The budget papers reveal a consistent year-on-year increase in expenditure for the thinning program, rising from $40.65 million in 2024–25 to $47.13 million by 2028–29, yet there remains no clear evidence that this investment is delivering value for money. Cash assets at the end of each reporting period are persistently negative. Despite this, no long-term funding strategy has been offered to ensure the program's financial sustainability. We have asked questions, and I will continue asking about the breakdown of these costs. How much is allocated to ecological thinning? How much is machinery sitting idle and how much is overhead? Treasury appears to be subsidising losses through a special purpose account, with no dividends being returned and no carbon credit strategy in place. We have also seen staffing levels increase despite the reduction in native forest operations, which should logically result in a workforce restructure. The Native Forest Transition program, including grant allocation and coupe selections, remains riddled with a lack of transparency. This is not sustainable forestry; it is financial guesswork dressed up as policy. If we are serious about forest health and fire mitigation, this program must be made transparent, measurable and accountable to taxpayers.
As shadow Minister for Aged Care, I also need to speak to what is becoming a crisis across the state. Aged-care facilities are at capacity. From the South West to the metropolitan area and across the state, elderly residents are being forced to move away from their families, communities and support networks just to access basic aged-care facilities. This is devastating for individuals and families alike. We have an ageing population, yet there has been little forward planning to build the infrastructure and support services that will be needed to meet this demand. In regional WA, the situation is even more dire. Service providers are hard to find, particularly in small towns. Even when people are approved for a care package, they often cannot access the staff to deliver the care. Wait times for NDIS assessments and funding are pushing out to 18 months or more, and that is only part of the story.
Community resource centres have done an extraordinary job of filling the void, especially with the Staying at Home program, but every year they are asked to do more and more with less and less. In this budget there is no additional support for CRCs, and that is not sustainable. I know I am not alone in this view. Many members here today are supporting ageing parents or loved ones, or will be soon. We all understand this problem, yet the system is still being left to strain under rising demand. I acknowledge the investment in telehealth, but I ask how realistic it is to expect our elderly residents to rely on video consultations. They need face-to-face medical services, they need local aged-care housing and they need properly funded support services—now. If the government is serious about health reform, it needs to start with those who are the most vulnerable, and that includes seniors across WA.
In conclusion, this speech is about standing up for the people who feel increasingly ignored and underserved. It is about being a voice for the communities that elected me. Today I am using this voice to say this: honour your commitments, fund what is needed and ensure that no region and no child is left behind. Thank you.
Mr Rhys Williams (Mandurah) (7:06 pm): That is probably not the speech I would have written for the member for Warren–Blackwood, but I nonetheless acknowledge him. I rise to speak in support of the Appropriation (Recurrent 2025–26) Bill 2025 and the Appropriation (Capital 2025–26) Bill 2025, and in doing so I begin by acknowledging the Treasurer, the Premier and the cabinet for their contribution to shaping a bold budget that is about creating access to opportunities for Western Australians. It is a budget for the times. It is a budget that leans into investments, strengthens our economy and supports Western Australians in accessing opportunities so that they can live happy, healthy and prosperous lives. There are record investments in economic infrastructure, health infrastructure, increased health delivery, education and housing. These investments will ensure that Western Australians continue to prosper and that this state will continue to be a place where access to opportunity is available to all who live here—particularly those who, without these investments, would be at risk of being left behind.
It is a good budget for Western Australia and it is a good budget for the electorate of Mandurah and the people of the Peel region. A particular favourite of mine is the further commitment to fee-free and low-fee TAFE courses, as well as increased access to free and subsidised apprenticeships for building and construction trades, which means that young people in my electorate—just like in your electorate, Deputy Speaker—will be able to set up their careers with career-defining training. A lot of people who live in my electorate are pursuing pathways in building and construction, and these commitments will ensure that they can prosper. I was really pleased to see these investments in the budget, and I thank the Treasurer and the minister responsible for ensuring that they are in there. I also acknowledge that this particular part of the budget was supported by the opposition.
Investments in the expansion of healthy breakfast clubs is really critical in making sure that kids come to school ready to learn. One of the key things that helps them be ready to learn is a great brekky before they come into the classroom. Expanding this program means that these students can come in and benefit from greater investments in their education by being ready to learn in their own right. There is $395 million to support students with disabilities in our schools; that is one that the people of Mandurah will be particularly happy to see. We understand the importance of education assistance, particularly assistance to support children with disabilities, and I was really proud to see that included in this WA Labor budget.
Of course, there is $250 for each student living in the Peel region, the Mandurah electorate and other places to be able to attend Country Week. We know the importance of things like Country Week for building confidence, building self-esteem and participating in healthy, active lifestyles. Being an enabler of this through the budget, although it is not the biggest investment, is a way of sending a signal to families in my electorate and in other electorates that the government is serious about giving students the opportunity to participate in community sport.
Locally, I am really proud of several important projects. I particularly want to start by acknowledging the Peel Health Campus investment in this budget. Delivering this project is my number one commitment for the electorate. I understand the complexity, and I thank the Minister for Health and the Minister for Health Infrastructure for acknowledging the importance of this project in the Peel region. There is money in the budget to continue progressing the enabling works, which is really important. Detailed planning is underway ahead of the future costings program to understand the full scope of the hospital and the full costings involved. Significant progress has been made already on these enabling works. In a year's time we will see the opening of the mental health and eating disorder clinic. These are two aspects of this overall project that are really important to the people of the Peel region and the electorate of Mandurah, particularly those who are navigating those complexities.
The Bindjareb Djilba (Peel-Harvey estuary) Protection Plan is an investment of $8.5 million into sustaining and protecting the lifeblood of Mandurah and the Peel region, the Peel–Harvey estuary. This investment will go towards not only addressing the water quality issues but also ensuring that landscape-scale restoration in the upper catchment of this important system will occur so that the water flowing through the rivers is healthier, free of nutrients and can support and sustain a healthier catchment. That is really critical.
There is record investment in community infrastructure right across Western Australia but, importantly, in the Mandurah and Peel region. More than $20 million is going to a state-of-the-art regional netball facility. Netball in the Mandurah district has forever been the poor cousin to other sports. It is getting a $20 million regional facility. That will mean the netball association can hold regional-scale competitions, hosting children from all over Western Australia, and adults, too. They will be able to participate in netball, which is just fantastic.
There will be an expansion of the Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre with three new multipurpose playing courts, because, like in other electorates, basketball is booming, volleyball is booming and badminton is going absolutely gangbusters, not to mention other sports. This commitment of $6 million plus $4 million from our federal Labor colleagues—we acknowledge them—means that this project will be delivered for the benefit of this electorate.
Other members have spoken about local election commitments in local clubs, like the cricket clubs and the Peel Districts Little Athletics association. These will help strengthen those clubs. It is a big nod to the great work that the volunteers do in not only delivering their sports, but also advocating for the changes. I appreciate the advocacy they have made to me for those projects, and I am really pleased that we see them in the budget.
Over the last couple of days I have sat and listened intently to the budget speeches, particularly those from members on the other side because I am trying to understand the alternative views put forward in this place. I have to say that I have been quite amused and, to some degree, I have found them to be quite cynical in a way. The thoughts they put forward criticise where the Western Australian economy and opportunities are going, with few alternative plans or proposals. I found that to be quite disappointing. We are seeing record investment in economic infrastructure in this budget that will set up Western Australia for future generations across the regions, in the metropolitan area and in the peri-urban areas, yet there has been hardly any mention of that, except, potentially, by the shadow Treasurer, who talked down WA's prospects as a manufacturing hub. What a disappointment it is to hear that something like manufacturing and securing those critical jobs for Western Australia cannot be done in a bipartisan way by supporting it together.
I was particularly surprised and interested to hear the Leader of the Nationals WA speak about there being two speeds: one speed for those who live in seats that are more likely to be Labor seats at the moment and another speed for those who do not. I found those comments to be quite revealing. The Leader of the Nationals is circling around the idea that somehow investments are being directed in a way that favour certain electorates over others. Let me remind the house of the Royalties for Regions plan that WA Nationals members themselves took to the state election on 8 March. It is a plan that shows, I think, how they see the role of public investment. The Nationals WA, and I assume it was an agreed policy of the opposition alliance, took to the election a policy to amend Royalties for Regions—I give credit to the WA Nationals for that policy; it is a great part of our regional development infrastructure in Western Australia—to include some new areas: the City of Kalamunda, the City of Swan, the City of Gosnells and the City of Armadale. In doing so, it turned its back on the people of Mandurah, Dawesville and the Peel region. It proposed to strip the City of Mandurah and associated parts of the electorate of its access to regional funding.
The Leader of the Nationals WA said that no right-thinking person could imagine Mandurah as anything but an extension of Perth, yet Gosnells, Thornlie and Armadale were included in its policy for Royalties for Regions funding—this precious regional investment that the Nationals are so proud to protect. They included metropolitan local government areas inside the eligibility boundaries and stripped out places like Mandurah and the Peel region. It is ridiculous. What was the basis for the policy? Was it sound regional development principles? Was it investigating economic trends to understand where these investments should be made? It is interesting to review the Australian Electoral Commission's profile of the division of Bullwinkel, which I was surprised to read includes the City of Armadale, the City of Gosnells, the City of Kalamunda, the City of Swan and the Shire of Mundaring. It is fascinating to hear the alignment between the opposition's new proposal for regional development in WA and the seat of Bullwinkel, which it was so desperate to win. It proves that it did not really help.
I am happy to debate any day of the week the benefits of investment into peri-urban areas and treating metropolitan and non-metropolitan peri-urban areas differently from the way that we might treat inner-city suburbs, but this was not that. This was a cynical and really quite disappointing approach to regional development. It is clear that this opposition has turned its back on the people of Mandurah, Dawesville and the Peel region. That is what it has done. The opposition has turned its backs on these people and, in doing so, it reached for political opportunism, but it still could not win that seat. On 1 March, the Leader of the Nationals WA was quoted in The West Australian as saying that this was not corrupt, and it would make Royalties for Regions perform the way that he expected it to. We know what he meant by that. The people of Mandurah, Dawesville and other parts of the Peel region should know this. This opposition has turned its back on them.
WA Labor is delivering record infrastructure and record investment in our schools, supporting the economic prosperity of people in our region and all Western Australians. Those opposite have decided that the people in the electorate that I stand here and represent are less worthy of that investment than local government areas not too far from here, right in the middle of the metropolitan area. They wrote their regional development policy on the back of a Bullwinkel how-to-vote card, gerrymandering the state for their own political advantage, and in doing so turning their back on the people of the Peel region—even the people of Dawesville, who some of those opposite used to count in their own ranks. This is cynical politics.
This budget is a good budget for Western Australia. It is a good budget for the people of Mandurah and the Peel region from a government that has got their back.
I commend the bills to the house.
Mrs Lisa O'Malley (Bicton—Parliamentary Secretary) (7:17 pm): It gives me great pleasure to speak in support of the state budget 2025–26. This is our ninth budget and it continues to build on the Cook Labor government's extraordinary track record of excellent financial management, which will see the delivery of a seventh straight operating surplus of $2.5 billion this year. The budget is forecast to remain in surplus across the next four years. At a time when Australia is emerging from a cycle of high inflation and Australians are feeling the weight of cost-of-living pressures, the Cook Labor government presents a budget that supports the immediate needs of our communities, especially those doing it tough, while laying the foundation for continued prosperity, economic diversification, environmental protection and action on climate. At a time of global instability and uncertainty, the Cook Labor government is providing strong, reliable and experienced leadership to further strengthen our economy, and a budget that invests in the things that matter now and in the future for all Western Australians.
I am incredibly proud to be part of the Cook Labor government and I am grateful to have the opportunity to contribute to this debate, because in doing so I have the opportunity to congratulate and thank our Treasurer, Hon Rita Saffioti, on this first budget of the 42nd Parliament and all who have contributed to its rapid delivery in a remarkable 72 days. I am very pleased to have the chance to speak about the many ways in which this budget will deliver for my electorate of Bicton and beyond, just like the seven preceding Labor budgets have done. I will begin with the big picture before focusing more keenly on the budget through a local lens, specifically on how it relates to my local community, and conclude my contribution with some personal reflections.
The 2025–26 Cook Labor budget delivers cost-of-living relief, with $963 million dedicated to delivering cost-of-living relief to West Aussies, including through residential battery rebates and no-interest loans. This will put ongoing cost-of-living relief in the hands, or more accurately the garages and carports, of Western Australian families. There is also a second round of the Western Australian student assistance payment and the $300 KidSport voucher, which has now been expanded to cover Girl Guide and Scout fees. This has long been called for by my local groups. I recall Fremantle Sea Scouts bringing this issue to my attention back in about 2019, so it is really exciting to see this expanded. The groups that advocated for this, apart from Fremantle Sea Scouts, included the Attadale and Willagee Kardinya Scouts and the Melville Girl Guides. There is also the new flat fare for public transport, continued fee-free student travel, halving of Transwa fares, a boost to the Regional Pensioner Travel Card and targeted assistance for those most in need.
Housing supply and affordability will be boosted by the commitment of $1.4 billion, which will help grow the construction workforce and housing infrastructure. This investment will help unlock a further 33,000 homes; provide stamp duty relief for first home buyers; provide access to shared equity loans and new modular loan products through Keystart; and boost regional housing supply.
Health and mental health continues to be a top priority, with a $1.4 billion boost to our health system, including investments in hospital services and infrastructure. This includes $829 million for hospital services. I acknowledge our current Minister for Health and all those ministers who have gone before. I particularly acknowledge the innovative way in which our Ministers for Health are going about tackling the very real and pressing issues that we face in delivering health across a state as vast as WA.
The Cook Labor government's sensible financial management has seen this budget attain a net debt position of 7.5% of gross state product, which is well below that of all other states and territories. My family live in country Victoria and my father often bemoans the massive debt of its state economy, which is in stark contrast to the way that we are travelling here in the west. The people of Bicton take a very keen interest in the state of the state's finances, with many of the conversations I have turning to this topic. I look forward to heading out again this Saturday. I will be on the doors, sharing the news about our strong domestic economic growth of almost 26% relative to pre-pandemic levels, which is well about the 16% national average. I will also be reminding them about the WA student assistance payment and that they need to get their applications in if they have not done so already.
The electorate of Bicton is home to a huge number of small and medium-sized businesses. The news that business investment has continued to grow over the past several years and is expected to keep growing, supported by a pipeline of major projects, will be very welcome. I have firsthand experience of this as a family-business owner, although of course my husband does that; I do not. For many years, I experienced what it is like to have that as the only income coming into our home, based on the direct efforts of us as family-business owners, certainly prior to my coming into this place. Together with the more than 340,000 jobs created since 2017 and unemployment consistently below 4%, we are setting up our state to be in the best possible position now and into the future.
Action on climate is a hot topic across the electorate of Bicton. Anyone? No. Thanks for that! I will say it again. Action on climate is a hot topic across the electorate of Bicton—I know one would not normally make a joke about that, but, you know, why not?—with many in my local communities passionately engaged in advocating for a net zero economy and society that works for all. I take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank the Melville City Climate Action Network, the City of Melville's Climate Action Reference Group, and the Town of East Fremantle's Climate Action Reference Group and Electrify 6158. Of course, this is a very serious topic and I do not jest lightly. I just cannot resist a pun, which is why I threw the earlier one in there! I really acknowledge that these groups are not just leaving it up to government to lead the way, even though goodness knows the Cook Labor government is doing that. It really highlights the importance of everybody taking responsibility and everybody doing whatever they can, whether it is in advocacy or taking action. The Electrify 6158 events get out there and demonstrate what it is like to electrify your home, and they do that in a very practical way. It also highlights where there are cost savings, again looking at cost-of-living measures that go on and on. They are not just one-off rebates, for example. Rebates are incredibly important for motivating and inspiring people, and of course making it financially easier to transition away from negative forms of energy production and into renewables.
The Cook Labor government is committed to a decarbonised future, and our Made in WA plan will play an integral role. The Made in WA plan will provide the blueprint. This budget sets us on the path to decarbonisation with an injection of $2.7 billion into economic infrastructure to unlock opportunities and help future-ready our state—a future in which the protection of our natural environment, human health and a thriving economy go hand in hand. This means a lot will be happening in the regions, and it will be wonderful to see our National Party members really getting behind that important work of ensuring that the regions are able to economically thrive through this transition.
The Made in WA plan will fast-track clean energy projects and support local manufacturing of the components needed to deliver this renewable energy infrastructure. That is why the budget allocation to this critical area of investment is so important. It includes $83 million to produce electric buses and ferries, building on the success of railcar manufacturing; the $50 million Housing Innovation Fund to support initiatives and technologies to boost productivity along the housing supply chain; $50 million to establish the Perth health and biomedical precinct to support the co-location of world-leading medical manufacturers; a $50 million local battery manufacturing program for grants and low-interest loans to support locally produced residential and industrial batteries; a $40 million boost to the New Industries Fund to support the development and acceleration of innovation-based technologies; $30 million for a further round of funding to new energy industries through the Investment Attraction Fund to support critical minerals, hydrogen and carbon capture and storage projects; $25 million towards our commitment to manufacture transmission towers and components at facilities in Forrestfield and Picton and establish a local industry development fund; and $8.9 million to support the Exploration Incentive Scheme. There is also additional support for defence industries, clean energy, the live music space, wine industry exports, biofuels, liquor reforms, small business grants and more. I finish that list by saying that none of those are pet projects; they are absolutely foundational to the transition that we need to really drive our economy into the future.
I am going to run out of time, so I will jump ahead a little and talk broadly about the things that matter in our local communities. Obviously, schools and education matter. Ageing infrastructure is an issue for many schools right across our vast state, including several in the electorate of Bicton. Many of my schools are over 100 years old, which is not to say that their air conditioning is that old, but it was fitted perhaps 30 to 35 years ago and is definitely no longer fit for purpose. It is great to know that schools most in need of air-conditioning upgrades will share in the $6 million that has been allocated through the Cool the Schools program. The schools in my electorate that will benefit are Palmyra Primary School, Richmond Primary School, Attadale Primary School and Bicton Primary School.
Supporting and advocating for the needs of my communities has always been my top priority. As much fun as it is in this place, I really love being in my electorate. I love being out there talking to people. That is the only way we can understand the needs of our communities so that we can turn up the volume when we come in this place and advocate strongly for them. I know that that kind of focus and passion extends right across this chamber. Sport and being active in general are important aspects of life for many in the electorate of Bicton, as they are everywhere. We know that participation in sport brings with it many benefits, such as community building, the development of leadership skills, economic and job opportunities, physical and mental health benefits and so much more.
Mr David Scaife: Go the Sharks!
Mrs Lisa O'Malley: Someone on this side is sledging me. I am getting to that. I seek your protection, Deputy Speaker, before I thump him—of course not!
The Deputy Speaker: Protection from the member for Cockburn? Come on! You are tougher than that, member for Bicton!
Mrs Lisa O'Malley: I am really pleased to have the opportunity to acknowledge several projects. In the time I have left, I will zip through a few in this budget. Of course, I have to talk about the mighty Sharks. By far the biggest sporting infrastructure that has been delivered in the electorate of Bicton since I became the member in 2017 now belongs in the electorate of the member for Fremantle. I am very happy, of course, to share it with her.
Mr David Scaife: A proud Bulldogs supporter.
Mrs Lisa O'Malley: She is, actually.
By far the biggest sporting infrastructure project is the East Fremantle oval precinct, which is now known as East Fremantle Community Park. Many in the community and beyond, of course, still refer to it as "Shark Park" but, in actual fact, the naming rights have gone to the Good Grocer, which is an amazing family-owned business. It has been instrumental in supporting the Sharks' move back home. The government contributed $25 million towards the $32 million facility upgrade—plus a little bit more to help the Sharks settle into the facility—with $8 million coming from the Town of East Fremantle. As members would know, budgetary constraints are always a challenge, particularly given that the original design of the facility was decided upon post the pandemic. We all know about the cost overrun of the new facility; indeed, it had to be redesigned many a time. However, we have landed with an exceptional facility that is of benefit to the football community—the men's and women's WAFL program, East Fremantle Junior Football Club's Auskick program and the Starkickers are back there. Lawn bowls is back. The croquet club will move in soon; it was able to continue where it is, but the club will move to the new facility soon. It is embraced by dog walkers and those who want to go there on a Wednesday night for the $20 parmies. The group fitness classes and the gym are pumping. There is a skate park.
Mr Stephen Pratt interjected.
Mrs Lisa O'Malley: The playgrounds! And they are accessible. I forgot about a little Lotterywest grant. It was not little—it was a million dollars towards an accessible playground, which is incredible. I really encourage members to get down there and barrack for the Sharks.
Mr David Scaife: No.
Mrs Lisa O'Malley: Come on, mate.
Mr David Scaife: Come down to Cockburn ARC, member.
Mrs Lisa O'Malley: Yes, all right. We will talk about this later. That is enough.
(Member's time extended.)
Mrs Lisa O'Malley: I want to quickly run through a couple of things I am really proud of. I guess I want to say that all of the pre-election commitments that will be delivered in the budget have been strongly advocated for. They are well considered. Again, these are important improvements and supports for ageing or not fit-for-purpose infrastructure. I know that regional members in particular will understand. I know all the metro ones. There has been massive growth in female participation, in particular, in traditionally male sports.
First off the bat is the air conditioning at the good old Bicton–Fremantle RSL. The fellas are just sweating it out there on a Friday night. Seriously, it is uncomfortable and not fit for purpose. We should be respecting our veterans with fit-for-purpose facilities. I am really proud that the RSL will have an upgrade to its air conditioning worth $65,000.
I go down my list to a really small thing at Palmyra Primary School, where my kids went. I was P&C president there for a number of years. I love that school. I love all my schools, but this one has an exceptional kitchen garden. It is not just a few little raised garden beds; it is a massive space. They run science lessons out of there. They are mostly self-sustaining, and there is a farmers' market next door. They raise produce with the kids and sell the produce, which provides learning around the economy, food provenance and all those wonderful things that maybe many of us took for granted growing up. There is $20,000 in the budget for a new greenhouse. That will enable the school to upgrade its science lesson delivery a lot more and hopefully even enable it to invite some of the other local schools to visit, like on professional development days.
There are always a lot of sports that need support. The East Fremantle Cricket Club shares its rooms with the East Fremantle Lacrosse Club. They have had a few break-ins, which really impacts small volunteer-run clubs, leading to their insurance going up and whatnot. There is $125,000 in the budget for not just security upgrades, but also, importantly, to provide shade, which they do not currently have.
Outdoor classrooms are a big winner. There are nature playgrounds at Caralee Community School, which is one of my new schools in the electorate in 2025. Funds have been allocated for a nature playground for Bicton Primary School. I am super excited that Melville Senior High School will get solar heating for its pool. I am actually still on the P&C at Melville. My daughter will graduate at the end of this year. Several of our public high schools have pools, but many are not heated. That reduces the time in which they can use the pools during the year. This funding will enable the school to roll out its programs across the whole year. It also has an intensive English school within the school. For many of those kids, it is the only opportunity they get to do swimming lessons. There is lots of talk about swimming lessons. Guess what? The kids who are doing the swimming lessons within our high schools do not have to pay for parking because they are already there. There are wonderful opportunities for our local primary schools to partner with our local high school to deliver the lessons. I go one step further and suggest that school is the perfect place for kids in years 11 and 12 to do Austswim, so they can also teach the classes. It is a win-win all round.
There are upgrades to lighting at Wauhop Park. That is another one I am super proud of. Fremantle City Football Club has exclusively girls and women there, so it is levelling the playing field for female sport. Gee, Willagee Bears Rugby League Club is getting a free kick at the moment for promotion.
A government member interjected.
Mrs Lisa O'Malley: I know, right? It is free promo for the mighty Willagee Bears. Their shade awning was not up to code, according to the City of Melville. Fair enough! When their building was upgraded, the shade awning did not go back, so we will be putting up some shade and shelter there as well.
I better pack up. Look, there is a lot of great stuff. Hopefully I will get the chance to talk about it in two-minute statements or whatnot. I cannot even find my last page! This budget is full of amazing things. Of course, we do as much as we can with what we have. I am super proud. I cannot find my last page, but that will do. I absolutely 100% endorse and commend the bills.
Ms Divina D'Anna (Kimberley—Parliamentary Secretary) (7:41 pm): I rise today to reflect on the 2025–26 state budget, one that truly delivers for our people, our place and our future. As a woman who was born and raised in the regions and as the elected member for Kimberley, I know how much our community deserves real and lasting investment. This budget demonstrates the Cook Labor government's continued commitment to regional WA and to the Kimberley in particular. It is a budget that not only invests in infrastructure and services but, more importantly, invests in our people. It is a budget that provides a strong economic agenda for regional WA, and the Cook Labor government has once again shown that it is focused on developing and strengthening our regions by creating local jobs, building infrastructure and supporting families and youth. The Cook government is delivering on its vision of stronger regions, connected communities and real opportunities for our next generations. This budget invests billions into the regions to drive economic growth, create local jobs and ensure that no matter where someone lives, they will get the same services and opportunities.
I sound like a broken record but I will say it again: I am passionate about ensuring that the people of the Kimberley receive the same access to opportunities as those in the metro areas. I believe this budget will continue to build resilience in our region and create new opportunities for economic growth. I am excited for the regional incentives that our government continues to deliver.
The $25.7 million investment to deliver a further $100 increase to regional pension and travel cards will continue to provide valuable cost-of-living relief to senior residents in the Kimberley. The total card value will now be $775 per year for regional pensioners, who often have to rely on their own means of transport to access essential services. I have spoken with many senior residents at elders forums and social morning teas in the Kimberley who have all told me how important this travel card is to them. The expansion of the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS) fuel subsidy from 26c per kilometre to 40c per kilometre is also going to be very well received in the regions, including the Kimberley. This fuel subsidy was already increased by more than 50% last year. I am proud to be part of a government that recognises how important PATS is for people living in regional and remote areas so they can access specialist medical treatment no matter where they live.
I would again like to mention one of my favourites—the regional airfare zone cap scheme. This scheme has been extended to June 2026 and continues to assist thousands of families across WA, including in the Kimberley, with affordable capped airfares between Perth and regional centres. This is more than just an air ticket. This is a connection. This is an opportunity. This is an experience for a lot of our regional people that has now been made affordable. Our government recognises how important schemes such as this are for offering real savings and benefits, as well as real opportunities, to people living in regional areas.
I am very excited about the package of commitments being delivered to families of school-age children. This includes the continuation of the KidSport vouchers, which I know have helped so many families in the Kimberley to keep their kids involved in sport, and $8 million for the Country Week assistance program to reduce accommodation and travel costs for families. The Kimberley always has strong representation at Country Week and it is a highlight on our secondary students' sporting calendar. I am very proud to say that over many years, the Kimberley teams have come home winners. They are built tough in the regions. I am so glad that our government recognises how important it is for kids in the Kimberley to have the same opportunities to represent their schools at the next level. It also ensures that kids from regional areas have access to all the same opportunities as kids from metro areas have, as I keep saying.
Both rounds of the WA student assistance payments have also been an incredible benefit to families throughout WA. In the Kimberley, these payments have had a huge impact on many families. I know families who have used these payments to purchase uniforms and others who have used the funding for footy boots. I know parents who have used the funding at the canteen for lunches so they do not have to worry. That is one less thing. Whatever they use it for, it is helping families, and it is helping children and their education. My staff have been helping many people in the office or over the phone to ensure that they do not miss out on applying for the funding. Just remember, there are only a few weeks left, so get in and apply. The feedback that we in the office are receiving is overwhelmingly positive. Families are grateful for these payments because they are real cost-of-living relief for them in the bush. The $28 million expansion of the breakfast club program and the $10 million program to boost the capacity of school canteens will also be very well received in the Kimberley. These school programs provide healthy food for students and work to make sure that every child gets a good start to the day for a good day of learning.
Housing shortages and affordability is an issue that is being felt across the nation, including in WA and the Kimberley. Our government recognises this and the budget reflects this. Statewide initiatives that will benefit regional areas include the increased stamp duty threshold for first home buyers and $103.8 million to double the Government Regional Officers' Housing construction program across regional WA to support key government workers. If we build more GROH houses, we release more stock into the private market. This creates homes for others. We also have $13.7 million to support housing for Water Corporation employees in the region, including in Broome, which is also important when we have to address critical water infrastructure needs for our communities; and $25 million over four years for the Regional Housing Support Fund, which will provide grants of up to $5 million to support new housing and land supply across regional WA.
At a localised level, the budget is delivering $5 million to the Water Lily Place affordable housing project in Kununurra. This will deliver key worker accommodation for essential service frontline workers. That is quite needed in Kununurra. There is $5.3 million through the Housing Enabling Infrastructure Fund for wastewater infrastructure to deliver more residential lots in Kununurra. Again, this is another lever that will help to boost housing. Regional housing is a priority for everyone in the Kimberley. Our government recognises this and will continue to implement strategies to address the areas of need.
Another strategy to address housing and construction shortages is our government's $8.6 million commitment to expand fee-free TAFE courses in the regions, including an additional seven construction courses that will be fee free from next year. Training opportunities and employment pathways are a huge priority in the Kimberley and all regional and remote areas. I have received multiple inquiries over the last few years from people asking if our government will commit to continuing the Aboriginal Ranger program. I am so proud to confirm that we are, with $20 million of this budget allocated to expand this incredibly valuable program. The Aboriginal Ranger program is incredibly important to the Kimberley, not only for looking after our country, but also to provide healthy role models for people in our community and jobs for those who want to stay in their community.
The Cook Labor government is also delivering a range of important health investments to support the Kimberley, including $8.8 million towards the construction of the Derby wellness centre. I was quite excited to meet with workers from the Derby Aboriginal Health Service, who are excited about their vision of how they can do outreach throughout the West Kimberley, including providing specialists to go out into the remote communities. There is $2 million towards planning and engagement for the Broome withdrawal service and $829,000 for purchasing land to enable the construction of the Broome Sobering Up Centre. There is $3.4 million for Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services to manage remote clinic services on the Dampier Peninsula. This is incredibly important to me as well. My mum lives up there, and I do not want to be picking her up to bring her into town for hospital! Our government recognises that there is a clear and continued need for improved and expanded health and mental health services in the Kimberley and is investing accordingly.
I am running out of time. I am also proud of my small commitments that have been invested in by this government, and I am so excited to deliver them to our communities. There are so many commitments being delivered. I will name just a few, but I am proud of them all. A snapshot includes $120,000 to the Kununurra Picture Gardens for upgrades to the community-run facility. This is a key bit of infrastructure that unites a community. Everybody loves a movie night, whatever their background, and it is one of the oldest, if not the only, drive-in picture garden left.
There is $50,000 for a new training front-end loader for Wyndham Youth Aboriginal Corporation, which they will use to help seniors do their gardens, but the equipment will also be used to train young people to build their skills to seek pride. There is funding to purchase computer equipment for community resource centres in Halls Creek and Kalumburu, and $50,000 for a community works tractor for Looma. Looma is a remote community, and this tractor will enable its people to build on their self-sufficiency. They are a proud people. They want to do things by themselves; they just need the equipment, and I am glad we are helping.
There is $150,000 towards upgrades at the award-winning Marra Worra Worra youth night space in Fitzroy Crossing. A lot of stories can be told about that, but maybe I will save them for another speech. There is $50,000 to purchase medical supplies for the brand-new Derby mobile health clinic. Again, this is part of the Derby wellness centre and the Derby Aboriginal Health Service that will bring clinics out to these remote communities. People do not have to come in; these services will take the health care and primary health care to them. There is $100,000 to build 10 new stables for the Yawardani Jan-ga equine therapy program to host the horses, and funding for essential items for seven women's refuges across the Kimberley. That has always been a passion of mine. There is also funding for several animal welfare and native welfare groups in the Kimberley.
We have got $45,000 for Garnduwa to run 11 basketball competitions across the region. This is big in the Kimberley. I am sure that we have Michael Jordans there; they are just waiting to be discovered! There is $75,000 for both the Port Wyndham Crocs and Warmun Eagles Football Clubs for new coaster buses to transport their teams to away games. They are both more than 100 kilometres away from the next team they have to play, and not everybody has cars.
There is $50,000 for the establishment of two new play areas at St Mary's College in Broome, and $50,000 towards stage 1 of the youth precinct in the remote Kiwirrkurra Community. I know that they are incredibly excited about that. Kiwirrkurra is the remotest community in the state, if not in Australia. Having something for those young people to do in their playground will be most welcome. There is $15,000 towards the Ardyaloon community youth space. Youth is a passion of mine and that is why I am so glad that these investments are going in to benefit them. There is $50,000 for upgrades to the Bidyadanga Men's Centre. As we know, working with family empowerment includes our men, and we need to strengthen our families from both a female and a male perspective. That brings me to the $250,000 to construct a new men's space in Djarindjin. In remote communities, it is not easy for our men to take a breather and leave situations that may escalate, so this creates an opportunity for things to de-escalate before they escalate.
I am running out of time and everyone is giving me the death stare, so I thank the Cook Labor government for delivering such a strong vision for regional electorates and the Kimberley. The 2025–26 state budget continues to diversify our regional economies with strategies to support new housing supply and continues to invest in health, education and job opportunities. I am excited to see these commitments being delivered in my region, and I thank the Cook Labor government and the Treasurer for their ongoing commitment to the economic future of our state and our regions.
Mr Dave Kelly (Bassendean) (7:56 pm): I rise to make some comments on the Appropriation (Recurrent 2025–26) Bill 2025 and the Appropriation (Capital 2025–26) Bill 2025. I want to start by congratulating the Premier, the Treasurer and the cabinet for the work they have done in putting it together. There are many great things about this budget and in the time I have got I cannot cover them all. Many of them have been covered, so there are just a few things I want to say. It is the first budget after the 2025 election and it is about delivering on election commitments that Labor has made. Sometimes when we go around electorates, people say, "Governments or oppositions make promises, but do they ever actually deliver?" I want to recap what we have done in the last eight years about projects that we committed to and delivered in the electorate of Bassendean.
Mr Rhys Williams: We'll be here until 1:00 am!
Mr Dave Kelly: I will try to be quick; it is a long list! In the first eight years of our Labor government, we committed to 91 projects in the Bassendean electorate, for 47 separate organisations. That goes across schools, sporting clubs and community groups, with 91 projects worth $29 million. Each and every one of those projects has been delivered, whether it was an upgrade to Kiara College's administration block, a new performing arts centre, securing the land for the farm school and those developments at Kiara College, a STEM upgrade at Hampton Senior High School, or the new Brockman Community House in Beechboro. Absolutely all those projects that we committed to for the electorate of Bassendean have been delivered, because that is what this government does. We deliver what we promise. At the 2025 election, we made a lot of other election commitments to the electorate of Bassendean. I am really excited to see those projects delivered over the next four years. Again, 12 schools, 14 sporting clubs and 16 community groups have received commitments totalling 43 projects worth $32 million. Just to name a few and to keep others happy, I will not go through them all.
There is $25 million for Hampton Senior High School. That is for an absolutely crucial upgrade to its facilities. We have begun the process of sitting down with the leadership of that school to determine what their priorities are and will determine what projects will be delivered at the school with that $25 million. That has been identified as stage 1 of the redevelopment.
There is $2.6 million for the redevelopment of sporting facilities at Jubilee Reserve. We have taken $2 million from the Town of Bassendean, $2.6 million from the state government and $2.6 million from the federal Labor government, so we now have a $7.2 million project that will upgrade the facilities at that sporting reserve for AFL, cricket, Little Athletics and for football—the round ball sport. That is a major project and a major upgrade for the electorate. We now have the funding to allow the Town of Bassendean to deliver that project. There is half a million dollars to upgrade the library at Kiara College. That has been committed to and will be delivered over these four years.
There is a bunch of other little commitments that are so important. There is $16,000 for Bassendean Men's Shed, to extend the size of the shed; $8,000 for new toys and uniforms at Humpty Dumpty Toy Library; and $6,000 for Bluesky Community Group, which currently hires mixing desks that are then taken to Lockridge Primary School so the kids can have a music program there. That $6,000 will allow Bluesky to actually purchase the mixing desk, the DJ desk, which is a much more cost-effective way of doing it. Those are just some of the things we have promised and committed to and will deliver. If anyone ever asks, "Do Labor governments deliver on their projects?", just look at what we have delivered in Bassendean and you will see that we have a 100% track record on delivery.
Another thing that appears throughout the budget is the need for action on climate change. There is $2.8 billion for a new desalination plant at Alkimos, which will replace the water that Perth used to receive just through annual rainfall. There is money to support a local battery industry—part of the home battery scheme we introduced as part of this budget. Under the Cooling our Schools program we are going to upgrade the air conditioning at 45 schools across Western Australia because of the higher temperatures resulting from climate change. Climate change is clearly an important issue in Western Australia, as it is around the globe.
Having said that, it is because this issue is of such seriousness that I was very disappointed by comments made recently by Woodside CEO Meg O'Neill. Meg O'Neill launched a quite disrespectful—and, arguably, arrogant—attack on young people for their views on climate change and, in particular, for their views on fossil fuels like the gas that is at the heart of Woodside's business. Ms O'Neill made a speech at the Australian Energy Producers Conference & Exhibition in Brisbane, which was widely reported in the media. It was reported in The Nightly that Ms O'Neill described young Australians as:
… hypocritical 'zealots', waging war on fossil fuels while indulging in fast fashion and online shopping …
The article also stated:
Woodside chief Meg O’Neill took the broad inter-generational swipe on Tuesday, claiming young people were vocal when opposing gas, but did not seem to have any appreciation of their own carbon footprint, when it came to their online shopping habits or energy use.
It also quoted Ms O'Neill as saying:
It’s been a fascinating journey to watch the discussion particularly amongst young people who have this very ideological, almost zealous, view of fossil fuels bad, renewables good.
But (they) are happily plugging in their devices, ordering things from Shein and Temu, having one little thing shipped to their house without any recognition of the energy and carbon impact of their actions.
I find Ms O'Neill's comments disrespectful to the very real concerns that young people have about climate change. The comments also make it sound like Ms O'Neill does not take the issue of climate change seriously. The young people I speak to about climate change are actually very well informed and, importantly, they take the science seriously. They know that our continued reliance on fossil fuels has a serious consequence for the planet, and they worry about the impacts of uncontrolled climate change on their futures. They want to know that the world's leaders, both in politics and in business, have a plan to get us to at least net zero by 2050. Young Australians who are concerned about climate change are definitely not engaged in some frivolous crusade, as Ms O'Neill suggests. They are simply following the evidence. They are following the science. Every company needs a social licence to operate. I suggest that Ms O'Neill should apologise to young Australians for her comments. I would also be happy to arrange for Ms O'Neill to meet directly with young people to hear about their climate change concerns.
Young people are not the ones who made the decisions that have brought us to the current climate predicament, but they are the ones who face an uncertain future as a result. In this situation, it seems quite unfair of Ms O'Neill to be, in a rather frivolous way, taking a swipe at younger generations, especially when young people rarely get to the microphone in the same way that she does. As each year passes, the world has an ever-narrowing pathway to reach net zero by 2050 and within that pathway the role of gas as a transition fuel is also narrowing. Ms O'Neill should show she understands the seriousness of the climate change challenge and how she is part of the solution, not part of the problem.
There are a couple of other things in this budget that I am particularly fond of. Fee-free TAFE is one. Many in my electorate will see that as a great boost to their employment and career opportunities. We know that TAFE was unaffordable for many young people under members opposite. Now there are many courses that are free, not just in construction but especially in construction and in areas such as aged care and childcare. That has continued under this budget and I think it is a great Labor initiative.
KidSport has been a great program and is continuing. It provides $300 to assist young people access sport. The fact that we have now extended the scope of the KidSport program to include the girl guides and the scouts is absolutely fantastic. I think the chief scout, Ayden Mackenzie, is one of my constituents. I doorknocked him twice—
Mr Terry Healy: He's the commissioner.
Mr Dave Kelly: He is the commissioner. I am sorry; I will get the terminology right. He is the Commissioner of Scouts. Ayden is an absolutely great bloke. I have doorknocked him twice in the last two years, so I will be doing it a third time specifically to tell him that we have extended KidSport to include scouts.
Mr Rhys Williams: He'll be delighted.
Mr Dave Kelly: He will in fact be delighted.
That was two things. The WA student assistance payment is a great initiative. I was at East Beechboro Primary School this morning. It was great. It has one of those electronic signs outside the school. It very helpfully had the temperature on it, so I could see that it was well below 10 degrees when I was standing out there. But it was well worth doing, because there were families who had not already claimed the payment. By talking to them today, the message got through that they need to do that by 4 July.
I know that a couple of other people want to speak. This really is an excellent budget. It is a Labor budget. I compliment the Treasurer, who has just entered the chamber, and the Premier for the hard work that went into putting it together.
I commend it to the house.
Mr Terry Healy (Southern River) (8:09 pm): I rise to make a contribution to the debate on the Appropriation (Recurrent 2025–26) Bill 2025 and Appropriation (Capital 2025–26) Bill 2025. For those watching at home or from the comfort of their offices, please know that I will be the last speaker this evening. I am going to address some aspects of the budget and some amazing contributions in my electorate and across Western Australia—there is no doubt about that. I would like to highlight a couple of them before I speak to the second chapter of my speech tonight.
The continued delivery of Metronet is key. The fact that the one-zone fare will come in from the start of next year will be key. The jewels in the Metronet crown are the Thornlie–Cockburn Link and the Nicholson Road train station. Now everyone will be able to travel across Perth to visit the Nicholson Road train station on the one-zone fare. Putting all other things to one side, from a cost-of-living approach, that is just key.
I make mention of the $150 federal energy credit and the increase to the seniors cost-of-living rebate, which will apply from July for those who have registered—having a WA Seniors Card is key. The student assistance payment is of course incredible. One thing that has not really been discussed by anyone, yet I think is actually one of the coolest things—maybe this is just me as a dad—and will certainly be promoting to my community, is the $50 access-all-areas pass for families in the budget. The way I will be promoting it is that it is essentially free tickets to Scitech for families. I will be talking more about that to my community. I want to commend the Treasurer and the government for what they have done in that regard.
For those who are playing along at home, I foreshadow that I had to cut my contribution to the Address-in-Reply a little short and I missed some of my student councillors to allow the member for Nedlands to give his contribution on time. For those who missed out, I will be going through 12 of my local schools and their student leaders tonight. I thought I would just foreshadow that. The education budget is very significant and is funding a number of public and private schools in my electorate. It gives me great pleasure to draw the chamber's attention to some of those fantastic student leaders. Roger Cook and I cannot do the great work we do in the Parliament without the student leaders of my community. They are fantastic advocates. They serve and work in a number of different roles in primary and high schools. I take great pride in acknowledging the great work they do, and I want to thank them on behalf of the Parliament of Western Australia.
I draw the chamber's attention to the student leaders of Huntingdale Primary School, and I would like to thank them on behalf of every person here in the chamber and the Parliament. I would like to congratulate our student leaders Ayame McCallum, Chonae Small, Sarah Anil, Gemma Hodge, Basma Al-Sumaidaee, Scott Mason, Eve Brittain and Inaya Talukdar. I would also like to congratulate the student leaders who are our faction captains at Huntingdale Primary School—Shylla Badiang, Leo Hicks, Ruby Macek, Robert Tandy, Brisyn Bennell, Tripp Dolmans, Sopoaga Liu and Xavier Fiel. Thank you for your service to our community and to Huntingdale Primary School.
It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge the great student leaders in Gosnells from Seaforth Primary School. I would like to pay particular attention to and thank our councillors Layla Collar, Dilara Rustami, Nahla O'Brien and Joseph Zeal Vum. Thank you for what you do as our student leaders. I also want to mention our faction captains Naran Rostame, Jack Street and Abdul Salam Kamara. Thank you for the work you do in looking after Gosnells and Seaforth for all of us.
I take great pride in informing the chamber of and congratulating the student leadership team of Caladenia Primary School in Canning Vale. It is a fantastic local school. I thank and congratulate some of our student executive: Victoria Cao, our head girl; Senudi De Vas, one of our student executive; Isabella Oo; Tissa Shakya; Amy Zhang; and Isabella Wojciechowicz. The head boy in our student executive is Zac Martellotta and our other student executives are Vinon Samarasinghe, Braxton Needle, Alexander Baba, Alex Mill and Sarth Jadhav. Thank you for the service that you provide to our community. I would also like to mention our music captains, Sapphire Lancucki and Sean Wu. I turn to our faction captains. In gold, we have Kiara-Leigh Pike and Samik Khanal, thank you; in green, Olivia Luong and Dave Godika, thank you; in blue, Esha Raj and Gaveen Singh, thank you; and in red, Samantha Walker and Rhys Kops. Thank you for what you have done. I turn to our faction vice captains: in gold, Jemma Nwokeiwu and Nethulmi De Silva Gunawardena, thank you; in green, Birfateh Sidhu and Sanvi Chaudhary, thank you; in blue Osindi Hitapu Ralalage and Caleb Samson, thank you; in red, Simrit Mavi and Arya Ramlugan. Thank you for your service to our community and the Canning Vale area.
I take great pride in mentioning Bletchley Park Primary School. For those playing at home, I mentioned the Bletchley Park students earlier this year in my contribution to the Address-in-Reply debate. However, due to a misfortune of my own, I missed one of those incredible students. I make a personal apology to Luke Collins for not mentioning you in the larger group, but Luke, you now get your own special mention. I thank Luke as one of our student school councillors in Bletchley Park.
Friends, I take great pride in congratulating and thanking the student councillors of Excelsior Primary School in Canning Vale. I particularly mention Akhil Karthi, Jacob San, Asafi Toy, Charlotte Appel, Mingmei Henderson and Alexandra Tang. Thank you to all of our faction captains: Cooper Staveley, Skyla Craigie, Eli Brelsford, Leilani Sakalia, Isaac Mirza, Shristi Tuladhar, Max Mcdougall and Amelia Hughes. Thank you for all that you do for our school and the leadership you provide to all of our school community.
Friends, I place on record my appreciation for the students, and student ministers in particular, of Southern Grove Primary School, which the education minister and I visited just last week. We were taken care of by the student ministers at Southern Grove. I thank in particular our student ministers of arts at Southern Grove: Peyton Spring and Trelise Jones; our ministers of library, Gurfateh Singh Dhadli and Jai Jegath, thank you; our ministers of operations, Zach Armstrong and Emma Parker, thank you; our ministers of sustainability, Leah Mann and Summer Li, thank you; our team captains for Acacia, Andrew Mukunda and Leilani Griffin; our team captains in Banksia, Toby Jenkin and Zainab Hakimi; our team captains in Hovea, Flynn Halliday and Leandra Sumana, thank you; and our team captains in Waratah, Jainam Patel and Alexia Pang. Thank you for your service to our community. We all greatly appreciate it.
I take great pride in acknowledging the student leaders at Southern River College where I was a former teacher. I say thank you to our 2025 year 12 leadership team: our head prefects, Freya French-Cain and Kayla Raadgever; our deputy prefect, Brodie Groenewege; and our councillors, Liane Cano, Kaeden Amos, Rhian Javier, Montana Ogilvie Passeri, Vinnie Morrone and Matilda Annadale. Thank you.
In our junior council at Southern River College in 2025, I place on record my appreciation to Samai Morel, Mohamed Kamara, Leroy Cooke, Aleira Devereux, Matiah Blowes, Candice Gokora, Jamie Lapworth, Liara Bullock and Sophie Mcleod. Thank you. Of course to our house captains at Southern River College, thank you to Jesse Whittington and Vi Nguyen in Kabi; Hudson Hollands-Martin and Una Cho in Karla; George Lamia and Hannah Tolosa in Maar; and Hamid Gholami and Hannah Brandis in Boodjar. Thank you for your service to our community.
Friends, on behalf of the member for Jandakot and myself, who both represent Canning Vale College, I say a special thankyou to the student leaders of Canning Vale College who I had at Parliament recently. They are a great group of people and I just want to say thank you all on behalf of Canning Vale and our community to those amazing people. In particular, I congratulate and thank our year 12s, our student leaders in Ana Hall, Eva Carot Collins, Sofea-Tahlia Bashir, Samantha Herbert, and Maddy (Yushuo) Wang. In year 11, I say thank you to Keona Latiff, Tyson Vanstien, Ryan Toor, Janet Chan and Cooper Rose. In year 10, thank you to Naheda Koshan, Lisa Writer, Lina Ichigaya, Rhyley MacPherson and Mehtaab Brar. In year 9, I want to say a particular thank you and congratulations to Naomi Nguyen, Mila Gibbs, Rayna Yudistira and Theresa Benny. In year 8, I want to say thank you to Satthie Sabarikanth, Abbey Lawson, Ravia Kakkar and Zoey Rattley. In year 7, thank you to Sabella Ogbonna, Jonah Grey, Evelyn Chon, Haley Tan and Alhassan lbraheem. Thank you so much for your service to our community.
Members, on behalf of the member for Thornlie and I, who share St Munchin's Catholic Primary School in Gosnells, I would like to say congratulations to our year 6 student leaders: Jojo Wu, Skye Espino, Jayson Rahunathan, Aung Kintha, Keina Estrella and Sanjay Sivasanthan; and our faction leaders, who are Lennox, Dustan Wightman, Noah Cruz, Evie Bertram, Gei Long Ya Kintha, Alessio Biancotti, Paul Ortega and Amelia Francis. Thank you for your service to our community.
Acting speaker, I might seek a brief extension.
(Member's time extended.)
Mr Terry Healy: I say thank you to the student leaders of Gosnells Primary School on behalf of the member for Thornlie and I, who share that fantastic school. Thank you to our student leaders Eden Coumbe, Lorelei Carthew, Harry Grace, Molly Venus, Scarlett Bollis, Mylo Reggetz, Jackson Karafilis and Yamin Chinwala; and our media coordinators Braylen Hickey and Nicolas Astudillo. Thank you for all of your service to our community.
Members, on behalf of the member for Thornlie and I, I congratulate the student leaders of Australian Islamic College Thornlie—a fantastic school. I particularly mention our school prefects Taha Foad, Fatima Al Asadi, Sabrina Islam, Allaa Ahmed, Johari Robertson and Ahmed Emad Hamdan. Thank you for your service to our community.
Members, it gives me great pleasure to conclude my speech tonight by mentioning the fantastic student leaders of Providence Christian College. I acknowledge our prefects in 2025: Joyce Bandi, Micah Chelliah, Claire Fourie, Jinushi Gangoda, Thea Hartono, Elizabeth Hellbusch, Naomi Jensen, Laura King, Desiree Lie, Hayley Maring, Edrian Mwenda and Moses Tassell; and our college captains in Joanna Raji and Sunny Wright. I also congratulate the heads of the student council in Madison Biancuzzo and Reshan Abraha.
I now turn to the house captains. I thank the house captain of Levi, Celeste Makusha, and vice house captains Ben Mostert and Felicia Iguodala. I thank the house captain of Judah, Ariahna Williams, and vice house captains Ethan Riley and Caitlyn Devincentis. From Joseph, I congratulate house captain Josh Hansen and vice house captains Muna Chukwu-Ike and Alana Joubert. From Reuben, I congratulate house captain Ali Chaudhary and vice house captains Bertha Pepulani and Akuel Dau.
I thank the chamber for allowing me the time to my mention my student leaders.
Debate adjourned, on motion by Mr David Michael (Leader of the House).
