WA Budget 2026/27: Quick Guide for the Built Environment
Delivered on 7 May 2026, the Western Australia 2026–27 Budget commits $4.7 billion in additional housing investment and a record $5.5 billion over four years for health infrastructure, as part of a $44.3 billion four-year Asset Investment Program — the largest in the State’s history.
For built environment professionals, housing and health carry the most immediate weight, but a strong program of school upgrades, major road works, regional infrastructure and energy and water projects means the pipeline is active across most sectors and most parts of the State. This is a strong, broad-based budget for the sector that rewards early positioning. The following summary captures the key initiatives most relevant to built environment professionals.
Housing
Housing is the clear priority of this budget, with $4.7 billion in additional investment spanning land supply and enabling infrastructure, social and affordable housing construction, and a substantial regional housing program. The breadth of the program covers the full construction supply chain. A $48 million commitment to two Housing and Infrastructure Advanced Manufacturing Facilities in Kwinana and Neerabup represents a longer-horizon development: these facilities are intended to support delivery of thousands of apartments per year by 2030, along with non-residential infrastructure including hospitals and schools.
Further key state-funded investments include:
$1.3 billion in land development, including power, water and enabling infrastructure to unlock new land supply across Western Australia
$686 million for DevelopmentWA to deliver new residential lots and activate METRONET station precincts
$692 million for regional housing, including more than 500 new Government Regional Officer Housing homes over five years
$250 million Keystart Pre-Sale Guarantee for apartment projects with at least 30 per cent affordable dwellings
$170 million to deliver 170 new GROH houses through the Resources Community Investment Initiative
$116 million to deliver 121 new lots at the Western Edge development in South Hedland and 111 lots at Broome North
This is complemented by significant Commonwealth/state co-funded investments, including:
Over $1 billion under the Housing Australia Future Fund to deliver an additional 1,426 homes
$522 million in power and water infrastructure to unlock growth corridors at North Ellenbrook, East Wanneroo, and METRONET precincts at Ballajura, Yanchep and Byford
$452 million to deliver 165 new social housing dwellings, refurbish 215 homes, and maintain WA’s 45,000 social housing properties
$375 million to build 500 affordable homes for first home buyers, including Keystart shared equity access
$50 million boost to the Regional Housing Support Fund
$40 million top-up to the Infrastructure Development Fund
Education
School infrastructure investment is broadly distributed, with major upgrades, new school delivery, expansion works and a large maintenance allocation spread across metropolitan Perth and regional centres, including Geraldton, Cowaramup and the outer south east. The Kimberley Schools Project and TAFE expansion for renewables training add a regional and vocational dimension to the program.
Key investments include:
Over $100 million for minor works at schools, including roofs, hardcourts, toilets, security, energy and accessibility upgrades
$96.2 million for the expansion of Harrisdale Senior High School, Piara Waters Primary School, Riva Primary School and Inglewood Primary School
$86.9 million for the final tranches of the Cool the Schools and minor upgrades election commitments, delivering upgrades at over 100 schools statewide
$78.2 million for major upgrades at six schools, including Champion Bay SHS, Belridge Secondary College, Byford PS, Glen Forrest PS, Cowaramup PS and Geraldton SHS
$68.4 million for land acquisition and forward works for a new Alkimos North Senior High School
$24 million to expand Munster TAFE for renewables training in wind energy, battery technology and electrification
$5.4 million for works on the piggery at the WA College of Agriculture in Cunderdin
Health
This budget commits $5.5 billion over four years to health infrastructure across the State, reflecting $1.5 billion in additional investment. This includes a boost to the Building Hospitals Fund, which anchors a program of major new-build projects, regional hospital upgrades and capital maintenance, plus a strong regional allocation which covers a wide geographic spread.
Key investments include:
$500 million boost to the Building Hospitals Fund for major projects, including the New Women and Babies, Royal Perth and New Mandurah Hospitals, and the Perkins WA Comprehensive Cancer Centre
$294 million for regional hospital investment across Bunbury, Albany, Tom Price, Meekatharra, Geraldton, Laverton and the South Hedland Step Up/Step Down facility
$214 million for capital hospital maintenance
Transport & Infrastructure
This budget represents strong investments in road upgrades and maintenance, as well as regional bridge replacement and flood resilience works, providing distributed opportunities across the State. Energy and water infrastructure investment is substantial, with major desalination and battery storage projects adding significant pipeline for civil and engineering contractors.
Key investments include:
$1.1 billion joint State–Commonwealth commitment to upgrade Anketell Road between Leath and Abercrombie Roads
$647 million for Westport, including Stage 1 Anketell Road upgrades
$606 million for Stages 1 and 2 of the Dampier Seawater Desalination Plant in the Pilbara (joint venture with Rio Tinto)
$150 million for the Vanadium Battery Energy Storage System near Kalgoorlie
$127 million for a program of regional bridge replacements
Over $125 million for the development of Boodarie and Kemerton Strategic Industrial Areas, Newman Light Industrial area, and regional port infrastructure
$113.5 million boost to Main Roads’ maintenance program
$83.2 million for Stage 1 of the Great Northern Highway Fitzroy to Gogo flood resilience works
$61 million for Toodyay Road upgrades
$57.3 million for planning and investigations into Perth’s next desalination plant
$53.3 million for land assembly and road infrastructure planning at Latitude 32 and the Australian Marine Complex
$9.4 million to replace water drainage bridges in Busselton and Harvey
Community & Emergency Services
Community infrastructure investment in this budget is targeted rather than broad, with the two headline commitments being $87.7 million for new and upgraded prison infrastructure including a further expansion of Acacia Prison, and $18.1 million to deliver a new 15-bed refuge in Innaloo.
Cultural, Tourism & Recreation
The standout capital commitment in this sector is $89.1 million in further investment in the Transforming Bunbury's Waterfront project, representing a meaningful opportunity for practices and businesses with coastal and public realm experience. A further $24.6 million has been allocated for essential infrastructure in and around Kununurra ahead of the 2028 Kimberley Total Solar Eclipse.
First Peoples
The most significant built environment commitment in this area is the $127 million top-up to the Remote Communities Fund, directed to housing, utilities and municipal services across remote Aboriginal communities. This covers work in some of WA's most remote locations and is most relevant to practices and businesses with proven remote delivery experience and culturally informed design capability.
What Now?
Housing and health offer the most active pipeline of new work in this budget. For larger businesses, the Building Hospitals Fund projects are the most significant near-term procurement opportunities, with prequalification through WA Health's infrastructure arm the prerequisite. The regional hospital program spanning Bunbury, Albany, Geraldton and the Pilbara provides consistent work for businesses already operating in those areas. The school upgrade program covers major works at six named schools, expansion projects at four growing schools, and over 100 minor upgrade sites, with packages suited to businesses of most sizes. With the pipeline across housing, health, education and transport, there is good reason to consider updating prequalification, building agency relationships, or sharpening a capability statement around a particular sector to ensure opportunity readiness.
If you would like to talk through how to position your practice for the opportunities in this budget, we would love to help. Book a free 30-minute call.
Sources:2026–27 WA State Budget Overview, Budget highlights and key initiatives, Our State Budget: Delivering Homes, Our State Budget: Health and Hospitals, Our State Budget: Investing in Education, Our State Budget: Connecting Our State, Our State Budget: Economy and Jobs, Our State Budget: Safe and Inclusive Communities, Our State Budget: Aboriginal Wellbeing, Our State Budget: Investing in Regional WA