- WA Labor invests $762 million to deliver record cost of living
relief for Western Australia's families
- New $400 electricity credit for every WA household and small
business
- Fees and charges for the average household to decline for
the third time
- Responsible financial management supporting investments in
what matters for WA
The Cook Labor Government
will deliver record cost of living relief to every Western Australian
household, with the 2024-25 State Budget providing $762 million in new cost of
living support for families.
The cost of living
package is headlined by a new $400 Household Electricity Credit, which will
roll out to 1.1 million households in two instalments - with the first paid from
July and the second from December, during the winter and summer power peaks.
Additional support is
also available for those who need it most, with Energy Assistance Payments to
bring total energy bill assistance to $734 for around 330,000 eligible
households - including pensioners, veterans and Health Care Card holders. Eligible
families can also receive the Dependent Child Rebate, bringing total support to
at least $1,086.
Small businesses will
also benefit from the Cook Labor Government's responsible financial management,
with a new $400 electricity credit for more than 90,000 small businesses with
annual electricity consumption below 50 megawatt hours per annum.
The $492.4 million in energy bill relief builds on a
suite of cost of living measures already announced as part of the 2024-25 State
Budget, including the $103.5 million WA Student Assistance Payment, which
provides $150 per kindergarten or primary student and $250 per high school
student for WA families.
Applications for the payment opened last month, with around
170,000 families already claiming the payment, helping to cover school and
associated costs.
The Cook Government has already delivered hundreds of
dollars in savings over the course of the year for WA families through the $40.7
million package to provide free public
transport for school students during the week and for everyone on Sundays as
well as the Summer of Free Public Transport in early 2024.
The Cook Government is also increasing the value of the
Regional Pensioner
Travel Card by $100 to $675 per year
from 1 July, delivering cost of living support for pensioners in regional WA.
The card is available for eligible pensioners to help cover the cost of fuel or taxi travel.
To keep travel affordable for regional residents, the Cook
Government will invest a further $64.5 million to continue the Regional Airfare
Zone Cap scheme - capping airfares to $199 or $299 and saving residents
hundreds of dollars each year.
In total, more than $3.6 billion worth of social
concessions will be provided to those most in need in 2024-25 alone.
The basket of State
Government household fees and charges for an everyday WA family will decline by
two per cent or $124 in 2024-25, the fifth consecutive year that rises have
been kept below inflation and the third year there has been a decline during
that period.
The basket of household fees and charges also remains more than $140
lower in 2024-25 than in 2018-19.
As part of its ongoing commitment to keeping power and
water affordable in the regions as well as the city, the Cook Government will
spend $3 billion over the next four years to subsidise utilities for regional
residents.
For more information, visit http://www.ourstatebudget.wa.gov.au.
Comments attributed to Premier Roger Cook:
"As a Dad from Kwinana, I
know that rising interest rates and global inflation are putting real pressure
on WA families.
"That's why we've made
cost of living support our top priority, and this Budget delivers real relief
for every WA household - with extra support for those who need it most.
"Our responsible
financial management and strong economy mean we can deliver this support
without leaving behind a mountain of debt for future generations.
"Whether you're in the
regions or the suburbs, and no matter your circumstances, we're providing
relief for you and your family - because I'll always do what's right for WA."
Comments attributed to Treasurer Rita Saffioti:
"We've always been clear
that cost of living is a key focus for our Government, and have now delivered
more than $3.5 billion in cost-of-living assistance since 2019-20.
"This $762 million
package in new support for families builds on the raft of measures we've
already announced or implemented to ease the pressure on Western Australians.
"These initiatives put
more money back in the pockets of households, as well as provide them with
cheaper travel - whether it's our pensioners and families in the regions,
public transport users in the metro area or schoolkids right across the State.
"I'm very proud to
deliver a State Budget that provides tangible cost of living relief and we're
able do this because of our Government's responsible financial management, and
a nation-leading economy that's firing on all cylinders."
