WA budget 'tightest in recent history'

The WA Treasurer says the state budget will be one of the tightest and most controlled in recent history.

WA Labor's treasury spokesman Ben Wyatt

The WA opposition says tightening recurrent spending is the key to trimming the state's debt. (AAP)

The West Australian budget will be one of the most disciplined in recent years, in keeping with tough economic times for the state, Treasurer Mike Nahan says.

Dr Nahan recently said debt and deficit would be lower than forecast in December's 2015-16 mid-year review, which predicted the state would sink deeper in the red to $3.14 billion while net borrowings would reach $29.55 billion.

Premier Colin Barnett added Dr Nahan had been very successful in containing growth in government spending, which ratings agencies have called for.

On the eve of Thursday's state budget, Dr Nahan said it was a set of numbers "for the times", with spending targets met.

"It will be one of the tightest, controlled budgets in recent history in terms of growth and recurrent expenditure," he told reporters.

After previously flagging households would face only minimal increases in fees and charges, Dr Nahan said the budget would be supportive of WA businesses and there would be no new taxes or tax increases.

Opposition treasury spokesman Ben Wyatt said getting the state's health budget onto a more sustainable footing and reining in public sector wages and staff numbers was all-important, while pursuing asset sales was not the answer.

"Asset sales will give you that short sugar hit to the revenue side ... but ultimately this is all about recurrent spending," Mr Wyatt said.

"If you don't fix the recurrent spend, we'll be back in the situation, just without the assets.

"The government can't do what it's done over the past three years and that's ratchet up land taxes that have actually had an adverse impact on the broader WA economy."


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Source: AAP



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