23/06/2026
THE NSW BUDGET 2026-27 🪙 | Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) welcomes a number of important investments announced in the 2026–27 NSW Budget that will benefit the rapidly growing communities of Greater Western Sydney.
The Budget recognises the need to invest in essential infrastructure, public services and environmental resilience to support one of Australia’s fastest-growing regions.
WSROC particularly welcomes the NSW Government’s decision to transfer responsibility for Rural Fire Service fleet management from local councils to the State Government, together with investment in fleet modernisation.
This reform has long been advocated by local government and will reduce the financial and administrative burden on councils while delivering a more consistent and sustainable approach to emergency service asset management.
The Budget’s significant investment in transport infrastructure is also welcomed.
The commitment of $3.5 billion towards roads and transport projects across Western Sydney—including upgrades to Windsor Road, Elizabeth Drive and Fifteenth Avenue, continued investment in the Sydney rail network and Parramatta Light Rail—will help improve connectivity, support economic growth and reduce congestion across the region.
WSROC also welcomes the NSW Government’s continued cost-of-living measures that recognise the unique transport challenges faced by Western Sydney residents. Freezing Opal fares at 2025 prices, reducing the weekly toll cap from $60 to $50, and providing vehicle registration discounts will provide practical relief for households that remain heavily reliant on private vehicles due to limited public transport options.
The Budget also includes welcome investment in environmental protection and sustainability, including continued funding for the 'Saving our Species' program and development of a NSW Nature Strategy.
These initiatives recognise the importance of protecting biodiversity, improving environmental resilience and supporting the long-term sustainability of Western Sydney’s natural assets.
However, with the coming year seeing the NSW Government collecting just short of $1 billion in waste levy funds, WSROC was disappointed to see no additional funding to address Sydney’s looming waste infrastructure crisis.
Councils have been calling for urgent action to adequate plan and deliver waste disposal and recycling infrastructure to ensure Sydney will not run out of landfill space by 2030 as currently projected.
In a budget that highlights reform to rebuild essential services, ensuring bins can be collected from each household and business remains NSW’s most overlooked essential service.
We would urge the NSW Government to provide more focus on funding to address Sydney’s waste infrastructure crisis as , as we quickly approach the state’s looming landfill crisis.
Local government has been calling for greater action to plan and deliver waste disposal and recycling infrastructure to ensure waste from household bins can be collected and disposed affordably for residents/ratepayers.
Without urgent investment in new waste processing, recycling and residual waste infrastructure, councils will face increasing costs and limited disposal options as existing landfill capacity continues to decline.
While the Waste Less, Recycle More initiatives and product stewardship measures are positive steps, they do not address the significant infrastructure deficit facing metropolitan Sydney.
WSROC continues to call on the NSW Government to partner with local government and industry to deliver the long-term waste and circular economy infrastructure needed to maintain affordable and reliable waste services for residents.
WSROC also welcomes the significant investment in water and wastewater infrastructure that will underpin future growth across Western Sydney.
The $2 billion North-West Treatment Hub upgrades, the $1.2 billion Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre, and the $1 billion investment in the Liverpool and Glenfield water resource recovery facilities will strengthen water security, support the Western Sydney International Airport precinct and accommodate the region’s growing population over coming decades.
Investment in health infrastructure remains an important outcome for Western Sydney communities. WSROC welcomes funding for new and upgraded hospitals at Rouse Hill, Bankstown, Fairfield, Blacktown and Mount Druitt, which will help improve access to healthcare services as the region continues to grow.
Similarly, investment in new schools and upgrades across Western Sydney—including Austral, Oran Park, Menangle Park and Bella Vista—will help ensure education infrastructure keeps pace with significant population growth and the needs of young families.
While today’s Budget contains several positive initiatives, Western Sydney continues to require sustained investment commensurate with its contribution to the NSW economy and its significant population growth.
WSROC will continue advocating for greater investment in waste infrastructure, integrated transport, environmental resilience, housing-enabling infrastructure and the essential services required to support one of Australia’s most dynamic regions.
WSROC looks forward to continuing to work collaboratively with the NSW Government and its member councils to deliver these investments and ensure Western Sydney communities receive the infrastructure, services and opportunities they deserve.
Cumberland City Council Blacktown City Council Blue Mountains City Council Hawkesbury City Council Camden Council City of Canterbury Bankstown City of Parramatta Fairfield City Council Penrith City Council Wollondilly Shire Council The Hills Shire Council Campbelltown City Council, NSW Local Government NSW Liverpool City Council Australia Western Sydney Health NSW Rural Fire Service
