Labor has lost track of almost $2.6 billion dollars after bungling its Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) costings, promising to fund billions in commitments from WestInvest and Restart without cancelling any currently allocated projects.
Labor has flagged taking $3.8 billion from WestInvest by raiding from the state government allocation despite the total for the government round only totalling $2.9 billion.
The NSW government round is already allocated to 27 announced projects, which Labor will cancel, including air conditioning in 84 schools, a new mega parkland at Fernhill Estate, road upgrades at Henry Lawson Drive, Richmond Road, Elizabeth Drive and Pitt Town bypass, health hubs in Liverpool and Glenfield, a PCYC flagship youth hub in Parramatta and school upgrades at Leppington Public, Austral Public, Rouse Hill High and Schofields Public.
To make up the nearly $982 million shortfall, Labor would have to borrow more money, deepening the existing Labor wages budget black hole of $8.6 billion, or cancel even more projects in the community or local government rounds of WestInvest.
NSW Treasurer Matt Kean said opposition treasury spokesman Daniel Mookhey, a former union official, could not be trusted with the NSW Budget.
“This is economic amateur hour from Labor. They are promising things they clearly have no intention of delivering, or worse, they have simply no idea what they will or won’t be able to fund in the community,” Mr Kean said.
“If the people of NSW needed proof that Labor cannot run the Budget – let alone our $770 billion economy – then the PBO statement makes it clear that Labor cannot be trusted to deliver what communities have worked hard to secure, let alone track and fund their own promises.
“WestInvest is already fully allocated and announced, with 231 transformational projects across 15 council areas fully funded and progressing.”
Mr Kean said local community groups, councils and agencies have begun preparing and delivering everything from local pools to preschools, all of which have been independently assessed by the WestInvest Steering Committee.
“Labor has seen these local projects as a sitting duck and staged the biggest cash-grab of the election, using $3.8 billion in funds set aside for western Sydney communities as their election slush-fund,” Mr Kean said.
“Every community in Western Sydney deserves to know what local projects they will drain of resources and cut from the program to throw at their candidates and pet projects.
“Labor has then gone on to claim that they won’t touch the local government or community rounds. If that is the case, then they will need to top up WestInvest by almost $1 billion to cover the shortfall for their $3.8 billion WestInvest raid.
“Clearly they will have to borrow money to top up the fund or they will have to cut community and council projects from WestInvest.
“Once again, they need to come clean with the public – will they simply lie now and cut later, or lie now and borrow later?”
Labor has also double-dipped into the regional funding source, Restart, claiming projects funded from the reservation have nil impact when in fact they will appear on the balance sheet.
“Restart is a not a free bucket of cash. They have siphoned $1.6 billion out of Restart and claimed it will have no financial impact, but every funding decision made against Restart must be accounted for in the budget,” Mr Kean said.
“This is yet more unfunded commitments from Labor to add to their unfunded wages blow-out and billions in undercooked commitments for health, firefighters and education.”
WestInvest projects to be cancelled by Labor
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1. Integrated Community Health Hubs-South Western Sydney (Liverpool and Glenfield) |
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2. Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan Masterplan Stage 1 |
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3. Fernhill Estate Transformation |
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4. The People's Loop, the Bridges of Parramatta Park and Wisteria Gardens |
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5. Air Quality Program in Schools (84 schools across WestInvest LGAs) |
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6. Western Sydney Stadium precinct Community based asset |
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7. PMC Salt Pan Creek Parklands |
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8. Transforming Parramatta’s Roxy Theatre |
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9. Penrith Lakes Parkland |
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10. Richmond Road at Marsden Park |
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11. Richmond Road M7 |
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12. Box Hill (Terry Road) new school |
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13. Henry Lawson Drive Stage 1B |
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14. Westmead Education Campus upgrade |
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15. Condell Park High School Upgrade |
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16. Schofields Public School Upgrade |
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17. Sir Joseph Banks High School Upgrade |
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18. Riverbank Public School Upgrade - Stage 3 |
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19. Rouse Hill High School Upgrade |
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20. Leppington Public School Upgrade |
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21. Austral Public School Upgrade |
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22. Parramatta East Public School Upgrade |
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23. Telopea Public School Upgrade |
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24. Pitt Town Bypass |
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25. Garfield Road East |
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26. Elizabeth Drive Upgrade |
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27. Londonderry Business Case |
Local Government projects at risk of being cut by Labor
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28. Quality Green and Open Spaces in Blacktown LGA |
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29. Revitalisation of Mount Druitt Hub |
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30. Local Traffic Programs in Blacktown LGA |
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31. Community Park refurbishment at Ashley Brown Reserve North |
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32. Community Infrastructure in the Blacktown Local Government Area |
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33. Reserve Embellishment – Tallawong Reserve and Rosenthal Park |
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34. Leura Cascades Recreation Precinct Upgrade – Stage 2 |
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35. Lomatis Park Clubhouse and Amenities Upgrade |
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36. Wentworth Falls Dam and Lake Recreational Precinct Upgrade – Stage 2 |
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37. Development of the Grand Cliff Top Walk- a world class iconic multi-day bushwalking experience |
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38. Active Transport Links |
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39. Strathfield Place Making Project |
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40. Burwood Library Pod |
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41. Burwood Main Street Transformation Project |
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42. Woodstock Park Sensory Garden Project |
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43. Burwood Park Inclusive Play Space |
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44. Deane Street Precinct Transformation |
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45. Henley Park Sports Field Upgrade Project |
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46. Park Expansions - Portland and Russell Street creation of quality new green open space |
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47. Cut Hill Reserve Sports Field Redevelopment |
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48. Camden Animal Shelter & Community Education Hub |
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49. Glenfield Urban Bike Park |
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50. Simmos Beach Parklands - Activating the Upper Georges River |
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51. Town Centre Beautification and Public Art – Glenfield Town Centre |
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52. Kanbyugal Parklands - Mountain Bike Park |
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53. Macarthur Recreation Trail - Australian Botanic Garden, Mt Annan to Campbelltown Station |
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54. Hurley Park - Early stories of Campbelltown's Resilience |
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55. Connected Campbelltown - A network of shared use pathway links and circuits |
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56. Leumeah Youth Precinct |
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57. Outdoor Fitness Facilities Program - For a Fitter Healthier Campbelltown |
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58. Campbelltown City Centre Transformation project |
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59. St Helens Park Youth Space |
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60. Revitalising Campsie Civic Precinct |
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61. Roberts Park Community Hub |
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62. Local Traffic Program |
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63. Wran District Park |
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64. Panania Library and Knowledge Centre |
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65. Belmore and Lakemba Town Centre Renewal |
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66. Lidcombe Town Centre High Street Activation |
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67. Guildford Pool Modernisation |
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68. Civic Park Pendle Hill Upgrade |
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69. Fairfield Showground Stage 2 - Indoor Sports Centre |
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70. Kurrajong to Kurmond Cycleway |
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71. Fernadell Park and Community Facility development |
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72. Getting around and Discovering the Hawkesbury |
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73. Woodbury Reserve Upgrade |
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74. Light Horse Park embellishment and upgrades |
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75. Sue Savage Reserve Multigenerational Recreational Facilities |
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76. Doyle Ground Sports Facility Improvements |
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77. Max Ruddock Reserve Amenities Modernisation with Viewing Platform |
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78. Refurbish Rydalmere Bowling Club into a New Multi-Purpose Community Facility |
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79. Let's play @ Kilpack! |
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80. Active Youth are Healthy Youth |
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81. Somerville Park Improvement Project |
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82. West Epping Park Dog Off-Leash Area |
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83. Gipps Street Recreation Precinct |
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84. St Marys City Heart and Entertainment Canopy |
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85. Upgrading of Flood Warning Infrastructure - The Hills Shire Council LGA |
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86. Horseworld - Indoor Recreation Centre |
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87. Dudley Chesham Masterplan 1st Stage - Multipurpose Community Facility |
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88. Renew and upgrade Oakdale Hall at Egans Rd, Oakdale |
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89. Railside Ave main street upgrade Bargo |
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90. Wollondilly Community, Cultural & Civic Precinct - Performing Arts Centre |
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91. Upgrade Appin Tennis Courts, AIS Park Appin (Sportsground Parade) and lights |
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92. Warragamba Netball Courts |
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93. The Oaks Hall |
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94. Footpath Shared Path Program |
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95. Thirlmere Hall Refurbishment |
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96. Hudson District Park East |
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97. Begnell Field Revitalisation |
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98. Airey Park Refurbishment |
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99. Strathfield Park Revitalisation |
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100. Castle Hill Showground Arena |
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Community projects at risk under Labor
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