The new baby bonus for parents - but it's not cash
Parents are in for a newborn baby bonus to help them cope in the first few days – but does not come in the shape of a cash handout.
Instead expectant mothers and fathers across NSW will be handed an essentials package as part of a $1 billion NSW state budget’s health injection.
The taxpayers’ gift is designed to help parents cope in the first few days of welcoming their new child into the world.
Minister for Women Tanya Davis said the offering was “essentials that a new mum and a new dad need for a new baby”.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the latest offering was vital for young families, revealing he knows a thing or two about childbirth.
“I’ve had five. I know it’s very joyous, but it can also be very challenging, and we want to provide that extra care and support,” he said.
The $150 package will include a sleeping bag, nappies, wipes, pads – and even a book.
The baby bundle is a small but helpful part of a wider parents package, with $157 million in Tuesday’s budget designed to get newborns off to the best possible start.
The giant boost for the health sector will also include 1300 new doctors and nurses.
A total of 100 new midwives will set the government back $9.3 million while more nurse home visits for new parents will come at a cost of $4.3 million.
More than $1 million will also go towards helping new mothers with mental health issues.
“A record $23 billion spending in day-to-day health services that doesn’t include infrastructure,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced.
But Shadow Health Minister Walt Secord said the boost was a little too late.
“The government has been forced into this position because of their eight years of neglect and their eight years of wrong priorities,” he said.
