Rinse and repeat: The Illawarra projects funded in Labor's second budget

There were just a handful of new projects or projects with new planning money in the pipeline, with most of these unveiled before budget day.

For the state, especially when it comes to debt, Treasurer Daniel Mookhey's second budget certainly has a different outlook.

He revealed on Tuesday that the deficit will be $3.6 billion in 2024-25, after the loss of $11.9 billion in GST revenue from the federal government.

Deficits are also forecast for the following six years, with a $2.5 billion deficit expected in 2025-26, $2.4 billion in 2026-27 and $1.5 billion in 2027-28.

Amid these "headwinds", Mr Mookhey has been as pains to say the budget is about all addresses the housing and cost-of-living crises, but when it comes to Illawarra-specific measures on these issues, it is low on detail.

Government officials said the breakdown of how it will deliver some of the big housing commitments - like 8400 new social homes, including 6200 brand new homes with half set aside for victim-survivors of domestic violence - will be forthcoming post-budget.

Likewise for the list of surplus state land that will be used to build 21,000 new homes.

Here's a list of the continuing and new projects being funded this year.

The estimated total cost of the Shellharbour Hospital redevelopment, which started under the previous government, will be $60 million more than originally planned.

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park announced last week that the hospital was one of several major health infrastructure projects which would need more money due to inflation and increasing construction costs.

This won't change the scope of the project - which includes Warrawong Community Health Centre, and the decommissioning and relocation of services at Port Kembla Hospital.

$52.5 million has been allocated in this year's budget for the total Shellharbour project, with $564.7 million to be spent over the next four years.

The government has committed to the hospital opening in 2027.

Wollongong Hospital's emergency department will also get funds to assign more spaces for people needing short-term treatment, under a $480.7 million package of measures designed to ease pressure on emergency departments.

A $21.9 million to improve Wollongong Hospital, announced last year, will also continue.

Just $300,000 has been spent on this project in the past year, with another $2.5 million to be spent in 2024-25.

The improvements at Wollongong - an election commitment from Labor - will include $7.85 million for medical imaging services to provide a new CT scanner and MRI, and $2 million to improve radiation treatment services for cancer patients.

Illawarra residents - and doctors - will also benefit from the government's new bulk-billing support initiative, which will give payroll tax rebates to GPs who bulk-bill 70 per cent of their patients.

The government is making a $21.3 million investment in Waminda's Gudjaga Gunyahlamai Birth Centre and Community Hub.

It will also continue to fund the $438 million Shoalhaven Hospital Redevelopment, and $7.5 million in upgrades to Milton Ulladulla hospital.

Residents in the rapidly growing suburbs in the southern Illawarra can look forward to new schools in their area - one of which will be up and running for children in 2028.

The government has committed $1.4 billion over the years for regional schools, including the accelerated delivery of a new public school at Calderwood.

There is about $400,000 allocated for the school in 2024-25, and the government says it will be completed by the end of 2027.

There are plans to be in construction on the school by the end of 2025.

There is no specific amount allocated in this year's budget or in the four years to 2027-28, due the competitive tender process.

Every new public primary school built, including Calderwood, will have a public preschool attached.

Also announced last year, Dapto High School will also receive a new covered outdoor learning area (with $1.8 million allocated in 2024-25) and Minnamurra Public School will have a new nature playground funded.

There's also money for planning for a new primary school at West Dapto and a new high school in Flinders, with site investigations still under way for these schools.

All schools will also benefit from a state wide injection of funds for a maintenance blitz to fix leaky roofs, bubblers and toilets at public schools.

There will also be funding for the six new public preschools to be delivered in the Illawarra by 2027, which, as announced in February, will be at Berkeley West, Cringila, Lake Heights, Hayes Park, Lake Illawarra South and Barrack Heights public schools.

Money will also go towards upgrades at Wollongong TAFE, $2,500,000 will be spent on the renewable energy training facility to be completed by 2025 - a year later than planned in last year's budget.

The NSW Government has committed $500,000 to investigate the transport infrastructure needed to support the proposed redevelopment of BlueScope's surplus industrial land at Port Kembla.

The South Coast line will be subject to a $10 million investigation to see what stretches need to be fixed.

The funding, which is contained in the upcoming NSW Budget, will also be used to develop solutions to the problems identified - tagged a Rail Resilience Plan.

$500,000 to investigate the transport infrastructure needed to support the redevelopment of BlueScope's surplus lands. Plus $5 million for the BlueScope Surplus Land Masterplan, preparing for the creation of a jobs centre for the State within the Illawarra.

There is also 147.2 million for Appin Road Upgrades (NSW and Australian Government funded), and money ($89.3 million over four years) for planning a Picton Road upgrade.

There's also planning money for a Picton Bypass ($18.3 million), that would provide an alternative route for heavy vehicles by linking Thirlmere and Tahmoor with the Hume Motorway via Picton Road.

Planning, announced last year, into the Bulli bypass and the on/off-ramps to the M1 near Dapto will be funded - with $1 million allocated to each in the 2024-25 financial year.

Both of these projects appear not to have received any funding so far, despite being announced in the last budget, but under the Regional Roads Fund, the investigation into the extension of Memorial Drive to provide a potential bypass of Bulli town centre will get $18.9 million in total.

Planning into new exit and entry ramps onto the M1 at Dapto will get $9 million.

Planning and construction continues, with the spend for for 2023-24 to be $70.9 million and $293.8 million over the next four years.

This project being jointly funded by the Australian Government, which recently agreed to increase its share of funding by $72 million.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said he had been fighting to ensure NSW projects received a fair share of infrastructure funding,

However, his office indicated that the reduction in funding from the state did not mean there was extra cash to build the hoped-for pedestrian bridge which has been cut from the project.

The NSW SES headquarters in Wollongong will get funding for its response to the 2022 Flood Inquiry, with $2 million allocated this year, and $14.9 million to be spent over the next 10 years.

There is also just under $1 million for the SES to look at Smart Flood and Storm Intelligence Sensing.

Funding of $5 million, announced last year, remains for the ongoing refurbishment of the fire stations at Engadine, Helensburgh, Thirroul, Sutherland, and Coledale.

Likewise, the funding delivered after Heathcote MP Maryanne Stuart's election promise to fix Helensburgh Police Station is ongoing, with the remaining $1.4 million of the $3 million project delivered this year.

As in the previous two years, $80.4m has been set aside for the Illawarra Mountain biking network and the Great Southern Walk (along with the Gardens of Stone Walk). The budget papers say $66.2 million will be spent between now and 26/27.

Construction on the mountain biking started in 2023.

$2 million to masterplan a 32-hectare site at King Street Warrawong, to create parklands, recreation, culture, arts and heritage, tourism and entertainment facilities for open public space use.

The budget includes $17.7 million for a condition assessment of Venues NSW assets in Newcastle and Wollongong - with 11.6 million allocated in 2024-25.

$47.9 million has been allocated in 2024-25 for Sydney Water Corporation to do work on West Dapto water. This project has an estimated total cost of $107 million and is due to be complete in 2027.

$19.9 million to Wollongong Council for the construction of the Cleveland Road upgrade which will support the delivery of 3,000 to 5,000 new homes in the region by connecting the West Dapto Urban Release Area to both the Princes Highway and the M1 Motorway.