Published on Saturday, 9 May 2026 at 8:55:06 AM
Mayor Glenn Wilson has welcomed several commitments for the Goldfields in the 2026-27 WA State Budget, while emphasising that major infrastructure, housing and service gaps remain despite the region’s significant contribution to the State economy.
Mayor Wilson said the City welcomed investment in housing, energy reliability, education upgrades, health services and cost-of-living relief measures, particularly as Kalgoorlie-Boulder continues to play a critical role in driving Western Australia’s economy.
“We welcome the State Government’s continued recognition of Kalgoorlie-Boulder as one of WA’s key regional centres and acknowledge a number of positive investments in this year’s Budget that were majority previously announced election commitments” Mayor Wilson said.
“Funding for regional essential worker housing, the $150 million Vanadium Battery Energy Storage System, support for health services, and funding toward projects like Stage Two of Pringle Village are all positive steps for our community.”
The Budget includes funding for:
- 113 homes for regional frontline workers in Kalgoorlie-Boulder;
- $20 million toward Stage 2 of the Pringle Village Seniors Independent Living Units;
- $12 million for infrastructure upgrades at O’Connor Primary School;
- continued investment in regional health infrastructure and hospital services;
- housing and subdivision support programs across regional WA; and
- several cost-of-living relief measures for regional families, including fuel support payments, student assistance payments, free public transport initiatives and continued support for the Regional Airfare Zone Cap Scheme.
While the City acknowledged measures aimed at improving housing supply and workforce attraction, Mayor Wilson said further investment and reform were still required to address the scale of challenges facing regional communities.
“Despite these measures, housing remains one of the single biggest constraints on our ability to grow,” he said.
“Rental vacancy rates in Kalgoorlie-Boulder remain critically low and the current rate of land release and housing development is still well below what is needed to meet demand.”
The City continues to advocate for increased support for enabling infrastructure to unlock residential development across regional communities.
“Without funding support for infrastructure, many housing projects in regional areas simply are not financially viable,” he said.
“Kalgoorlie-Boulder requires additional titled land, infrastructure investment and coordinated planning support to meet future demand and support workforce growth.”
Mayor Wilson said the Budget still fell short in several critical areas that have consistently been identified by the City and the broader community as priorities.
“While there are welcome announcements in this Budget, there are still major gaps that cannot continue to be overlooked,” he said.
“As one of the State’s most significant economic contributors, Kalgoorlie-Boulder continues to face increasing pressure on infrastructure, utilities, health services and community facilities.”
“We have been overdelivering in productivity and with a very buoyant gold price over the last financial year, we are yet to see direct return to origin funding. Something that should be considered above royalties for regions funding,” Mayor Wilson said.
The City remains concerned about:
- ongoing housing affordability pressures;
- workforce shortages across key industries and essential services;
- increasing demand on local infrastructure;
- utility and power capacity constraints;
- the lack of major new commitments for transformational local infrastructure; and
- the need for continued investment in health and community safety services.
The absence of significant direct investment into major enabling infrastructure was concerning, particularly as Kalgoorlie-Boulder had been identified by the State Government as one of its strategic “Seven Cities” regional growth centres.
“If Kalgoorlie-Boulder is expected to support future industrial expansion, population growth and workforce attraction under the State’s Seven Cities vision, the region also needs direct investment in enabling infrastructure including health, housing land supply, water security and utility capacity.”
While broader regional health funding was welcomed, Mayor Wilson noted the need for continued investment in the Kalgoorlie Health Campus.
“There remains a clear need for investment into health infrastructure in Kalgoorlie-Boulder to support our growing regional population,” he said.
The City also acknowledged the $4.8 million for Kalgoorlie Transitional Services to support year-round return-to-Country transportation, alongside the $6.2 million investment in the Housing First Support
Service in Kalgoorlie, noting both as positive steps toward addressing homelessness and supporting short-stay accommodation needs.
“Kalgoorlie-Boulder is a major regional service hub for surrounding remote communities accessing healthcare, family support and essential services.”
The City will continue to support the development of practical, culturally appropriate temporary accommodation options, alongside wrap-around support services and stronger collaboration across all levels of government.
“Local governments cannot address homelessness and transitional accommodation challenges on their own,” Mayor Wilson said.
“Coordinated State and Federal investment is essential to address the unique pressures regional centres like Kalgoorlie-Boulder experience.”
Workforce attraction and retention also remain ongoing challenges for regional communities.
“Long-term reforms are needed to support regional workforce attraction and retention, including incentives and stronger support for regional migration pathways. The City will continue advocating for reforms that encourage permanent regional workforces.”
Mayor Wilson reaffirmed the City’s commitment to working constructively with all levels of government, advocating for the infrastructure and services needed to support long-term regional growth.
“Kalgoorlie-Boulder is ready to support the State’s future economic growth, but that growth must be matched with investment in the infrastructure, services and housing needed to sustain a thriving regional community,” he said.
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