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WA Budget: Your two-minute guide to what you need to know

Even though commentators are labelling WA's 2018 budget the least interesting in years, with no major spending announcements or contentious asset sales, Treasurer Ben Wyatt is talking up the merits of his second budget.

He has claimed the effort to restrain expense growth to 0.9 per cent for this financial year "almost killed him", but said this figure was the key story in the budget papers.

Although the budget still languishes in deficit ($906 million this financial year) the treasurer has forecast a return to a $1.3 billion surplus in 2020-21.

Debt still looms over the budget papers, with $39.7 billion to be on the books at the end of the forward estimates. The government said this was a $3.2 billion improvement on the last budget's estimates.

Householders will no doubt feel the pinch as fees and charges jump 4.8 per cent, or $292 per annum.

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Premier Mark McGowan and the treasurer are expecting economic growth to hit 2.5 per cent this year, and have claimed the creation of 30,000 new jobs since taking office.

GST continues to plague state-federal relations and impact the state budget's bottom line.

WA will receive only 47.3 per cent of population share of national GST revenue. Mr Wyatt said no other state had ever received less than 83.4 per cent.

Foreign property buyers will be hit with a surcharge increase from 4 per cent to 7 per cent.

The state's Metronet program is rolling ahead with $1.1 billion in investment, including an additional $750 million over the forward estimates.

Key numbers

  • Economic growth forecast at 2.5 per cent for 2017-18
  • State debt to peak at $40.9 billion in 2019-20 before falling to $39.7 billion in 2021-22
  • Budget deficit of $906 million in 2018-19, with a $1.3 billion forecast for 2020-21
  • Hit to households of $292 per annum in fees and charges increases
  • Expense growth restrained to 0.9 per cent in 2018-19
  • $275 million extra for new and upgraded health facilities
  • $184 million for a Metronet "Social and Affordable Housing and Jobs package"
  • 246 new rail cars to be delivered over the next 10 years
  • $10.4 million for maritime infrastructure maintenance to be raised from increases in maritime fees and charges.