REACTIONS TO THE NSW BUDGET:
* "I don't want people's living standards to go backwards, and pleasingly this budget shows perhaps from 2025 onwards there will be an increase to real wages." - Treasurer Daniel Mookhey
* "Paying people enough to provide for their family is right morally, it is correct economically, and it is vital if we want to rebuild essential services to the world-class standard NSW demands." - Treasurer Daniel Mookhey
* "It's one thing to say you're going to have a surplus and it's another to deliver a surplus. We have grave doubts that there will be a surplus because this budget is based on dodgy assumptions." - Opposition Leader Mark Speakman
* "This government's first priority is rewarding their union mates for their support during the election campaign. Chris Minns lacks vision, and ultimately families and households across NSW will pay the price." - Opposition Leader Mark Speakman
"Chris Minns and his government have again demonstrated that they don't understand regional NSW. This budget does little to help communities as they continue to recover from the impacts of drought and natural disasters." - Nationals leader Dugald Saunders
"(There is) no commitment requiring the government to identify outcomes they want to see and which they can say to the people of NSW 'This is how we are going to improve your life'." - Shadow treasurer Damien Tudehope
"We need to be honest about the scale of the challenge and the need for significant new investment, not window-dressing commitments." - Homelessness NSW acting chief executive Amy Hains
"It (reinvestment in Landcom) is a drop in the ocean - it wouldn't even meet the projected demand in any one of Sydney's LGAs, let alone the statewide demand." - Community Housing Industry Association NSW chief Mark Degotardi
* "The Queensland government this year increased its health budget by 9.6 per cent, while NSW couldn't even commit to a one per cent increase." - Australian Medical Association NSW president Michael Bonning
* "At a time when the health sector and medical services need an urgent investment of cash, this budget provides almost nothing. Traditionally governments increase health investment, this government has effectively slashed it, when health inflation is taken into consideration.'' - Australian Medical Association NSW president Michael Bonning
* "Paying public-sector workers enough to attract and retain them is absolutely critical to our state. The morale and goodwill of these workers was absolutely cratered by the Liberals. This budget is the beginning of the rebuild." - Unions NSW secretary Mark Morey
* "Today's budget recognises just how critical essential workers are, both by lifting the public sector wage cap and creating a new $3.6 billion fund for decent pay rises for the people who keep our state functioning." - Unions NSW secretary Mark Morey
* "This budget does not do enough to help those barely hanging on. While the $224 million investment in social and affordable housing signals the government's intent, it barely scratches the surface." - NSW Council of Social Service chief Joanna Quilty
* "After years of neglect by successive governments, now is the time to turbo-charge investment in social housing, affordable housing and homelessness services." - NSW Council of Social Service chief Joanna Quilty
