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NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookey brings down the 2023 budget . Image : NCA / Newswire
NSW Budget
Infrastructure and scholarships for higher education
By Erin Morley
The Minns government ’ s first NSW state budget , released September 19 , includes investment into higher education for essential workforces and an increase in funding for vocational education and training ( VET .)
Increases in public sector employment is a priority for the 2023-24 spending , and will see teaching , nursing and trade courses at university and TAFE incentivised .
INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING To support an improvement in healthcare , university campuses will see investment for new and improved facilities .
All universities in NSW and the ACT will share in a $ 70.2 million investment for new laboratories and pre-clinical trial spaces to facilitate early-stage drug developments for human and animal diseases .
The University of Sydney ( USYD ) will receive $ 149.3 million for their co-funded partnership with the Sydney Local Health District to build a biomedical research complex spanning the university campus and the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital .
Macquarie University will be funded with an $ 81.4 million expenditure to improve their bus interchange and transport precinct , connecting the university to the Macquarie centre , business park and surrounding residential and commercial areas .
Meadowbank ’ s Institute of Applied Technology – Digital facility has been completed with a $ 128.9 million investment to deliver practical learning courses in partnership with TAFE , Microsoft , the University of Technology Sydney and Macquarie .
MEN IN CARE JOBS The government is targeting gender-bias in jobs such as nursing and care by decreasing study costs at universities and VET ( vocational education and training ) facilities , attempting to increase the number of men in these workforces .
The budget states only 18.3 per cent of VET courses and 13.6 per cent of university commencements in nursing are male students , resulting in the 10.2 per cent of men that make up Australia ’ s midwifery and nursing workforce .
SCHOLARSHIPS The gender-bias has encouraged investment into scholarships and study relief for healthcare workers at university , which the government said will result in better quality care for patients .
Study subsidies will be given to 12,000 healthcare students at a cost of $ 121.9 million over five years , including a $ 4,000 scholarship for each year of study , with existing students receiving a one-off payment of $ 8,000 to boost the healthcare workforces .
Early childhood education workers will also receive a $ 22 million investment into their professional development and university costs .
INCREASE IN FEE-FREE VOCATIONAL TRAINING
Vocational education , such as TAFE , will receive a ‘ thorough review ’ and $ 112 million to meet its funding shortfall , along with supported fee concessions for people who are welfare beneficiaries or who have a disability when undertaking Certificate IV and below
I would much prefer to be able to spend money on the state ’ s essential services and essential workers , rather than have to write big cheques to the state ’ s bondholders .
qualifications through the Smart and Skilled program .
In-demand skills in industries will be met with 1,000 extra apprentices by 2026 at a cost of $ 93.5 million , and fee-free training for formal components of apprenticeships and traineeships .
A recent labour market update reported professions that require a skill level of two to four , where vocational education and training ( VET ) qualifications are the primary pathway , accounted for over half of total employment growth over the year to May 2023 .
NSW treasurer Daniel Mookhey said a $ 3.6 billion Essential Services Fund will enable the government to negotiate workplace changes and improve these services .
“ I would much prefer to be able to spend money on the state ’ s essential services and essential workers , rather than have to write big cheques to the state ’ s bondholders ,” the treasurer said during his announcement .
“ This is an investment New South Wales must make to deliver vital public services to the standard people expect .”
The budget ’ s $ 13 billion in cuts and savings and the tax increases on big multinationals will fund the promised $ 3.6 billion in pay rises for public sector workers such as nurses and teachers .
“ If we want a world-class health system , we have to train , recruit and retain enough health workers to staff our hospitals ,” he said .
“ The government will work to rebuild essential services by working to fill labour shortages .
“ The Essential Services Fund will give them certainty and help bolster their ranks to ensure essential services workers are supported to deliver the best outcome for the people of New South Wales .”
NSW ’ s overall debt is climbing and will reach $ 188.2 billion by 2026 , exacerbated by rising interest rates . However , the government forecasts there will be a $ 844 million surplus for 2024-25 thanks to this year ’ s modest spending . ■
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