The NSW Government will invest more than $1.4 billion over the next four years to continue delivering a massive pipeline of new and upgraded schools for regional communities.

This follows last year’s significant commitment to essential education infrastructure, ensuring every student across NSW, no matter where they live, has access to high-quality education facilities.

The former government neglected or ignored the educational needs of many families in regional NSW, leaving a backlog of school projects in the regions.

The NSW Government has a long-term plan to rebuild public education and we are focused on building and upgrading essential educational facilities in the bush, creating better communities for the people of NSW.

Through this plan, we are ensuring NSW has world-class public education infrastructure in the regions so all young families can access a high-quality education, regardless of their postcode.

Our plan to build better regional communities for NSW includes:

• A new primary school for Huntlee
• A new high school for Huntlee
• A new primary school in Calderwood
• Rebuilding Willyama High School in Broken Hill
• Jindabyne Public School and Jindabyne High School at Jindabyne Education Campus
• Googong Public School – Stage 2 upgrade
• New school halls for Griffith’s high schools
• Nowra East Public School upgrade

Many of these new schools will also benefit from the NSW Government’s record $769 million investment to build 100 new public preschools, co-located with public primary schools, by 2027.

Forty-nine of these new public preschools will be in regional locations including the South Coast, the Hunter, Illawarra, Mid North Coast, New England, Southern NSW, Northern Rivers, Far West, Riverina, South-West Slopes and Central West regions.

Following investments made in the 2023-24 Budget, the NSW Government has launched significant regional school projects, including:

• A new high school in Googong
• A new high school for Medowie
• A new primary school for Nowra

Major upgrades are also being delivered at primary schools in Gillieston Heights, Lennox Head, Ulladulla and Milton, and high schools in Newcastle, Bomaderry, Heatherbrae, Irrawang, Moruya, Ulladulla, Vincentia and Yanco, as well as four schools in Murwillumbah.

Planning work is continuing for a new high school for Pottsville, a new high school for Flinders and a new primary school for West Dapto.

Work is also continuing to ensure that communities across NSW don’t just have the schools they need, but also the teachers.

This Budget builds upon work to address the chronic teacher shortage created under the former government, which is felt particularly in rural communities, with the expansion of the Priority Recruitment Support program. This program allows schools with longstanding vacancies, primarily in regional NSW, to advertise a recruitment bonus of up to $20,000 and relocation support package of up to $8000.

The NSW Government is committed to ensuring every single child across NSW, no matter where they live, have access to a free, quality, public education.

Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

“The NSW Labor Government is committed to delivering regional school infrastructure to communities left behind by the Liberals and Nationals.

“For too long under the former government, families in regional NSW were promised the world, while little was delivered for the regions.

“This Budget demonstrates our commitment to ensuring children across NSW can access a world-class education in high-quality facilities – no matter their postcode.”

Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said:

“Students in the regions deserve access to high-quality education facilities and I am proud to see our Minns Labor Government continuing to make significant investment in our regional communities.

“This Budget demonstrates our Government’s commitment to investing in our regional communities.”