What’s in the 2026-27 WA state Budget for your organisation?

Funding highlights for community groups and social sector services included:

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

• $127 million top‑up to the Remote Communities Fund for investment in housing, utilities and municipal services across remote Aboriginal communities.
• $26.6 million towards Aboriginal‑led economic development and cultural initiatives.
• $48.6 million to continue locally driven mental health services for Aboriginal people.

Arts, culture and tourism

• $10 million to attract business events to Western Australia.
• $40.4 million support for local creative industries and arts organisations.
• $18 million to support a range of Aboriginal tourism initiatives under the Jina: Western Australian Aboriginal Tourism Action Plan 2026-30.

Bushfire and disaster relief

• $31.2 million additional funding for fire and emergency services fleet replacement.

Children and families

• $421 million for child protection services.
• $46.3 million to boost supports for foster and grandparent carers, including a new Foster and Grand Carer Gold Card, and increased foster carer subsidy.
• $29.5 million uplift for the Home Stretch WA service, which supports young people leaving care.
• $20.3 million to boost funding for at-risk youth services.

Youth justice

• $61.4 million to continue the Target 120 early intervention program for young people coming into repeated contact with WA Police.
• $41 million to continue a range of Aboriginal‑led youth programs under the Kimberley Juvenile Justice Strategy.

Domestic and family violence

• An additional $106 million has been committed to family and domestic violence prevention and response.
• $45 million boost to FDV refuges and safe houses, including operational funding for five refuges under development in Albany Bunbury, Narrogin, Newman, and Peel.
• $17.2 million funding uplift for sexual abuse therapeutic, healing and support services.
• $10 million to trial out of hours social workers at hospitals, and to continue Ngala’s Thriving Families service navigation program.
• $3.7 million funding boost for sexual assault support services and to expand counselling at the Sexual Assault Resource Centre.

Education

• $124 million to continue lower fee and Fee-Free TAFE in 2027.
• $19.6 million to support 330 additional Group Training Organisation Wage Subsidy Program places.

Environment

• $606 million to secure water in the Pilbara
• $24.7 million to continue initiatives to ensure Western Australia’s biosecurity and animal disease preparedness.

Health

• $6.5 billion for frontline hospital services, more doctors and nurses, and initiatives to improve access to health services.
• $433 million to improve access to health services

Homelessness and housing

• $91.1 million funding boost for new and continuing homelessness services.
• $13.5 million to extend the WA Rent Relief Program to June 2027.
• Over $1 billion new investment under the Housing Australia Future Fund partnership between the State and Commonwealth Governments – to deliver an additional 1,426 homes.
• $452 million to deliver a further 165 social housing dwellings, refurbish 215 houses, support land acquisitions, and undertake maintenance for WA’s 45,000 social homes.

Mental health

• $43.8 million baseline funding uplift for community mental health and Alcohol and Other Drug services.
• $29.7 million to extend suicide prevention initiatives around the State, including $4.9 million for supports for young people who have lost someone to suicide.
• $15.4 million to roll out WA’s first Crisis Recovery and Intervention Support Service.

People with disabilities

• $310 million uplift in disability funding for public schools over the forward estimates.
• $15.7 million to expand access to training and supports for staff working with students with disability through the new Disability and Inclusion Professional Learning Hub.
• Over the next five years, the State will spend $361 million on services and supports for children with developmental delays or autism aged 0 to 8 though the Thriving Kids initiative, including $148 million in Commonwealth funding.

Rural and regional

• $692 million for regional housing, including a $50 million boost to the Regional Housing Support Fund to meet strong demand, investing in programs across the State.
• $294 million additional investment in regional hospitals.
• $68.6 million to extend regional palliative care, renal care support, cancer and other regional health services.
• $2.6 million to support delivery of the CinefestOZ Film Festival in regional Western Australia over the next four years.

Women and gender equality

• $1.4 million for perinatal mental health support.
• $19.6 million additional investment in the Group Training Organisation Wage Subsidy Program includes a further 50 places specifically for women wanting to work in electrical trades.

How to find funding from the Budget announcements?

As Budget funding announcements are translated into grant programs, stay ahead of the pack and find out when relevant funding rounds open.

If you’re a Funding Centre member, make sure you’re ready to act when funding opens by updating your preferences and alerts.

Setting up alerts can help ensure you don’t miss relevant opportunities as they are released, some programs might begin accepting applications shortly after Budget announcements.

New to Funding Centre?

Are you a council or peak body? Explore SmartySearch for an easy-to-integrate, up-to-date grants search tool for your website.

Are you a grantseeker? Join Funding Centre for access to a comprehensive grants database, tailored alerts, and Drafter, our AI tool to help you prepare applications.