Member for Blue Mountains Trish Doyle has welcomed funding for education, for the Blue Mountains hospital and continued funding for local drinking water safety in this year’s 2025-26 State Budget.
Ms Doyle is also pleased that the Minns Labor government is delivering the largest investment in out-of-home care and child protection in NSW history, with a commitment to rebuild the neglected system and keep the state’s most vulnerable children safe.
Foster carers will get an immediate 20 per cent boost in allowances as part of the landmark $1.2 billion Child Protection Package. The funding will help the government fill the 200 vacant case worker positions and create 100 new leading case worker roles.
There is $10.4 billion more for public education over the next decade under the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement with the Commonwealth, the single largest investment in NSW history; another $9 billion on education infrastructure upgrades and a further $50 million for High Potential and Gifted Education programs.
Gifted Education
Locally Springwood High School is one of 33 schools to receive specialist multi-million dollar upgrades through the HPGE program. It is a program that extends student learning across a range of subjects, as part of the government’s broader commitment to expand gifted education across every public school.
The school is set to receive upgrades to
- five science laboratories and prep rooms,
- food technology and hospitality kitchens,
- the school stage, drama and dance space,
- two woodwork rooms, a metalwork room, and storage to support the Vocational Education and Training (VET) program,
- two music rooms, photography room, and visual arts room.
- The upgrade will also deliver a refresh to the school entrance with improved wayfinding, lighting and landscaping.
“I am delighted for the Springwood High School community,” Ms Doyle said. “The school will get these major improvements that it needs to the science labs, workshops and creative spaces and so much more."
Schools were selected based on student need and enrolment capacity. In addition to upgraded facilities, teachers will receive dedicated professional learning to support program delivery. Broader professional development will be provided to teachers across all public schools, ensuring consistent and expanded access to gifted education.
Springwood High School principal Stuart Harvie said: “The news is thrilling for our school community and staff. It’s incredible news and we are so thankful to Trish. I can hardly wait to see the great improvements we can make at our school from this investment.”
Child Protection
Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said in his Budget speech that: “In March 2023, more than 100 children cared for by the State of NSW were sleeping in motels. Since April this year, for the first time in more than 20 years, no children are staying in motels.”
He said the government is investing in services that matter most — without privatising and without capping wages.
Ms Doyle said it “is the first time in two decades that the foster care allowance has increased. We are reinvesting money back to where it’s needed in the community.”
“This Budget will ensure the biggest pay rise for Department of Community and Justice case workers,” Ms Doyle added. “They are not classified as essential workers, but I really do believe the work they do is essential. We can recruit and retain more case workers.”
PFAS
A further $37 million is locked in to protect the Cascades water supply, building on the significant investments already made – such as the $3.4 million mobile treatment system - to ensure the continued safety of Blue Mountains water and to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) out of our drinking water.
A number of measures have been put in place and according to the most recent monitoring results, NSW Health and Sydney Water have advised drinking water in the Mountains meets updated Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and is safe.
Hospitals
Ms Doyle is continuing to ensure that her $25 million, 2023 election promise secured for upgrades and future planning at Blue Mountains Hospital stays on track, with repairs to the roof, the Central Sterilising Services, and upgrades in the next year for the Short Stay Unit, the Emergency Department and Imaging Department and the Ambulatory Care Unit.
“I am committed to high quality health care for our community. There is $20 million more to come of my election commitment for upgrades to ensure our hospital is safer, more functional, and better equipped. We continue working towards our brand-new hospital for the Blue Mountains, while working side-by-side with frontline staff and clinicians and NSW Health.
"I’ll keep doing what I’ve always done - fighting for our community.”
Savings in stamp duty
Ms Doyle said another Budget commitment by the government is to a fairer rental system, including portable rental bonds; as well as expanded home buyers assistance.
The First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme provides a full exemption from stamp duty for eligible buyers purchasing up to $800,000, and a concession for purchases between $800,000 and $1 million. This means first home buyers can save up to $30,529 in stamp duty.
There have been 594 households in the Blue Mountains that have used the scheme – saving those residents a total of $13.4 million in transfer duty from 1 July 2023 to 1 June 2025.*
The Budget has also continued to fund the Medlow Bath highway upgrade.
Regional NSW has experienced extreme levels of natural disaster, including floods and Cyclone Alfred this year. This budget includes $4.2 billion in partnership with the Australian Government to support natural disaster and recovery programs.
The state government is also investing $91.3 million into renewing and upgrading visitor infrastructure for the National Parks & Wildlife Service and delivering $92 million for NPWS Frontline Conservation, like invasive species control.
