Source : Perth Now news
A freeze on public sector recruitment will cut about 1000 jobs over the next year, the South Australian state budget has revealed.
In a move that hopes to save $120m a year, the sweeping cuts to non-frontline positions were included in the Malinauskas Labor government’s first budget since its emphatic election victory in March.
But the budget also included new measures aiming to put a shot in the arm of the state’s housing sector, investments in education facilities and efforts to fight ambulance ramping.
Among these measures were stamp duty relief schemes for victims of domestic abuse and downsizers and a funding pledge for a $50m housing development exclusively for first-time buyers.
Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis handed down the budget to parliament on Thursday afternoon, unveiling a raft of new measures as the state debt heads towards the $50bn mark.
As well as announcing the hiring freeze and stamp duty changes, Mr Koustantonis also pledged $8.5m of funding over the next four years to set up a treaty commission, which will be headed by Aboriginal leaders.
The commission will be geared at improving health, education and economic conditions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the state.
The budget includes:
• $174m over four years to abolish fees at public schools.
• $50m pledged towards building a 400-unit housing development of properties exclusively for first-home owners in Munno Para, north of Adelaide
• A $250m loan scheme to reduce ambulance ramping and create 650 new aged care beds
• Stamp duty relief for victims of domestic abuse and people over 60 downsizing into a property worth up to $2m
• An expansion of the seniors card scheme, opening it to all people aged 60 and over and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged 50 and over
• Funding for dozens of more long daycare services to allow three-year-olds to attend preschool
• $210m across six years to redevelop and upgrade 37 public schools
• $28m towards a mental health assessment unit at the Royal Adelaide Hospital
“The 2026-27 budget lives within its means, the surpluses are genuine and debt to revenue rates are lower than previously budgeted,” Mr Koustantonis said.
“The Malinauskas government continues to provide the certainty that allows risk-takers, entrepreneurs and business leaders to get on with their work while the government gets on with providing the services and cost-of-living relief we committed to at the state election.”
Speaking ahead of the budget, Premier Peter Malinauskas described the budget as “modest”.
“The amount of commitments that we made during the course of the election campaign, in the context of expenditure, was actually quite modest and when you see it all tallied up, you’ll see the way that plays out in terms of its implications,” he said.
“It also ensures that we have the ability within the budget to within our means honour the commitments that we did make.
“There are no new taxes, there are no surprises for business here.
“We are honouring our commitment to not create new taxes to justify expenditure because we’ve been restrained in our expenditure.”
However, the budget was dismissed by One Nation’s SA leader Cory Bernardi as one of “bread and circuses”.
“The circuses are there to distract people from the downfall and decline of this state,” Mr Bernardi said.
“The bread is there, there are handouts for everybody thinking they are getting something for free, the problem is nothing is for free.
“This is coming at the cost for our future generations.
“We know that every budget there is an extra $4bn in debt coming and we’ve got to call a stop to that reckless spending.”
