State Government addresses South West leaders on region’s benefits from 2024-25 State Budget

The State Government outlined the benefits of its 2024-25 Budget to the South West on Friday. Bunbury MLA and Cabinet minister Don Punch addressed a breakfast hosted by the South West Development Commission at the Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre. Mr Punch walked the crowd through what the Budget meant for those in the region, the State’s economic outlook and where money was being spent. Those in attendance included Bunbury Mayor Jaysen Miguel, Deputy Mayor Tresslyn Smith and chief executive Alan Ferris. Other leaders included Capel shire president Doug Kitchen and Busselton chief executive Tony Nottle. Mr Punch talked up the investment put into the region alongside the State Government’s fiscal responsibility. “The 24-25 budget is really delivering on the theme we established when we came to government in 2017 - responsible budget management, fiscal responsibility, making sure that our operating expenditure within government is controlled and managed, and generating a surplus we then apply a reinvestment in Western Australia,” he said. “There is a notion sometimes that we sit on a pile of cash in a room and count it on a regular basis, that is not the case. “We actually reinvest every cent back into building a future for Western Australia and our economy is the envy of the nation.” Mr Punch was joined by Collie-Preston MLA Jodie Hanns and Murray-Wellington MLA Robyn Clarke for a Q&A session. Ms Hanns said the Government’s student support payments were being well received in her community. “The feedback I’ve been getting when speaking to people in the community is the huge amount of support for the WA student assistance payment,” she said. “I used to be a teacher and just that initiative alone, is making a huge difference to families out there who are doing it tough - we know it’s not cheap to raise children. “Particularly when there are pressures around your housing costs and paying the bills, that means that when your child has grown out of last year’s winter uniform, you have to make some pretty tough decisions, so I think that’s a really welcomed initiative.”