WA BUDGET 2020: TREASURER BOASTS STRONGEST ECONOMY IN THE NATION

Treasurer Ben Wyatt recently announced WA represents a stronger economy than anywhere in the nation and perhaps the world after dodging a COVID-19 recession and described WA’s recovery from lockdown as “extraordinary”. Today Mr Wyatt is expected to reveal that the State economy is on track to grow this financial year, when just four months ago it was forecasted that the pandemic would push WA into its worst recession.

“The WA economy is unique — almost on the planet — with how we’ve managed to effectively eliminate a virus. Bearing in mind we don’t have international students or travel, and we have restricted national travel, the economic data has been extraordinary.” Said Mr Wyatt.

My Wyatt’s pandemic-era Budget presents a record $27.1 billion in infrastructure spending over four years. Much of this has already been revealed in the $5.5 billion COVID recovery package, which created a pipeline of work with a focus on the next two years.

See the list below of what we know so far:

• $600 one-off household electricity credit on power bills.
• Freeze on power and water tariffs.
• $492.2m to upgrade schools.
• $30m towards redevelopment of the WACA Ground.
• $38.9m to upgrade infrastructure in communities.
• $100m towards new major road projects and bring forward existing.
• $96.5m to upgrade and refurbish police stations.
• $150m Investment in tourism industry.
• $229m to upgrade TAFE campuses.
• $76m for the Arts industry, including a $30m Perth Concert Hall upgrade.
• $92.4m to boost local Manufacturing.

Premier Mark McGowan insisted he had no interest in “bankrupting the State” to deliver coronavirus support measures and predicted WA would “continue to have the strongest jobs growth in Australia”.

This is a brief summary of the article ‘Proof we are in a world of our own’ by Peter Law | The West Australian | Thursday 8^th October 2020