The West Australian budget is set to return to surplus for the first time in six years, but the opposition says it's worried the domestic economy is weak and households are doing it tough with no relief in sight.
The state's mid-year review handed down on Thursday reveals a $1.02 billion surplus is forecast in 2019/20.
If a surplus is achieved, it will be one year earlier than previously forecast.
Treasurer Ben Wyatt says restraining expense growth remains crucial, while GST top-up payments totalling $2.4 billion over the next three years will be used to pay down debt faster.
Net debt was forecast in May's state budget to peak in 2019/20 at $40.85 billion but is now expected to hit $37.9 billion that year.
The multi-billion dollar improvement will save the state $532 million in interest over the next four years.
"It's boring - I get that - but interest savings are a long term benefit for WA," Mr Wyatt told reporters.
He said the numbers were better than he expected, although the housing and retail sectors were weak.
Opposition Leader Mike Nahan said Labor had benefited from the GST windfall and higher mining royalties, which were outside its control, but the domestic economy was going backwards.
State Final Demand, which measures domestic goods and services demand, rose by 0.9 per cent last financial year and is expected to shrink by 0.5 per cent in 2018/19, before growing by 3.5 per cent the following year.
"Dwellings, down. Household expenditure, down. And private investment, which has generated this economy, is down," Dr Nahan said.
"There is no good news in this budget for the West Australian public."
Previous big hikes in households fees and charges had been used for budget repair but there was no relief in the mid-year review, he said.
"Their budget is improving but it's not helping the WA economy."
Mr Wyatt acknowledged many households were doing it tough.
He said the state government sought to make power price increases next financial year "lower than we're currently budgeting for" but would not commit to capping them at inflation.
Those decisions would be made in the first quarter of next year, Mr Wyatt said.
Sharp falls in the housing market were plateauing, he added.
Dr Nahan was also critical of the debt outlook, saying federal funding for certain transport projects had been taken but the state's contribution had not been booked and would require borrowing.
