Emily KowalUpdated June 23, 2026 — 12:01pm,first published 11:28amWelcome to our rolling coverageBy Emily KowalGood morning and welcome to our state budget coverage. My name is Emily Kowal and I’ll be with you all day as NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey prepares to hand down his fourth budget - and last before the March election - around noon.Our reporters are pumped with caffeine, our highlighters are uncapped, and we are ready to dig into the bottom line.Let’s jump into it!NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey is ready to hand down his fourth budget. Steven Siewert Latest Posts12.01pmWestern Sydney plays catch-upBy In May, the Herald’s Parramatta bureau staff examined western Sydney’s infrastructure deficits in our series Stranded Sydney. We focused particularly on suburbs where population growth has exceeded road, transport, health, leisure and school capacity.There is some relief we already know of in this budget.A new primary school and high school for Bella Vista, and five new schools in the south-west.Funding for hospitals and upgrades at Rouse Hill ($910 million), Bankstown ($2 billion), Fairfield ($630 million), and additional beds at Blacktown and Mount Druitt ($120 million).Upgrading Windsor Road at Rouse Hill.Upgrading Elizabeth Drive and Fifteenth Avenue to improve links to Western Sydney International Airport.Parramatta bureau chief Anthony Segaert will examine what the budget delivers for western Sydney when Treasurer Daniel Mookhey speaks in parliament around lunchtime.Read our full Stranded Sydney series here. While parts of Sydney have taken thousands of new homes, the roads, transport, schools, hospitals and leisure space people need are sorely missing.