Budget Estimates

Inquiry for 2026-2027

View past Budget Estimates inquiry pages

Each year, ministers and senior public servants appear before Legislative Council committees for Budget Estimates hearings. They answer detailed questions about how public money is spent, and how their agencies are performing.

Budget Estimates plays a key role in holding government to account.

The Budget Estimates inquiry is conducted by the Legislative Council’s eight Portfolio Committees (PCs).

For more information, please contact the secretariat at (02) 9230 2581 or email BudgetEstimates@parliament.nsw.gov.au

​The Budget Estimates and related papers for 2026-2027 were referred by the House to the Portfolio Committees for inquiry and report by 24 December 2026.

Known as the Budget Estimates resolution, the referral sets the terms​​ of reference​​​​ ​for the inquiry into Budget Estimates 2026-2027 and shows the schedule of hearings.​​

The Budget Estimates Guide contains more information about Budget Estimates​ processes and procedures, along with committee membership and the timetable for the initial hearings both by date and by committee.

Watch our explainer video to find out more about the Budget Estimates process. It's the first in our Inside the Upper House video series.

Further information about the Budget Estimates inquiry can be found in Chapter 20 of New South Wales Legislative Council Practice.

Budget Estimates hearings are open to the public and are webcast live on the Parliament's website.

Video recordings are expected to be available on the NSW Parliament's YouT​​ube​ channel the afternoon of the next business day following the hearing. ​​​​

Key dates 2026-2027

The following dates have been set aside for 2026-2027.

18 August to 21 August 2026
24 August to 28 August 2026
31 August to 2 September 2026

26 October to 30 October 2026

In accordance with the resolution, the Portfolio Committees must report to the House by 24 December 2026.

Initial hearings 2026

Browse the list of hearings by date and portfolio, key inquiry documents will display under each accordion. Note: Documents tabled during hearings can be found on the relevant inquiry page under the "Other documents" accordion.

Tuesday 18 August 2026 - Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, Heritage (Sharpe)

Portfolio Committee No. 7 - Planning and Environment - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Macquarie Room

Hearing schedule

Transcript

Highlighted questions on notice

Supplementary questions

Tuesday 18 August 2026 - Customer Service and Digital Government, Emergency Services, Youth Justice (Dib)

Portfolio Committee No. 8 - Customer Service - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Jubilee Room

Hearing schedule

Transcript

Highlighted questions on notice

Supplementary questions

Wednesday 19 August 2026 - Education and Early Learning, Western Sydney (Car)

Portfolio Committee No. 3 - Education - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Macquarie Room

Hearing schedule

Transcript

Highlighted questions on notice

Supplementary questions

Wednesday 19 August 2026 - Water, Housing, Homelessness, Mental Health, Youth (Jackson)

Portfolio Committee No. 2 - Health - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Jubilee Room

Hearing schedule

Transcript

Highlighted questions on notice

Supplementary questions

Thursday 20 August 2026 - Premier (Minns)

Portfolio Committee No. 1 - Premier and Finance - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Macquarie Room

Hearing schedule

Transcript

Highlighted questions on notice

Supplementary questions - Premier

Supplementary questions - Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC)

Supplementary questions - Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC)

Supplementary questions - NSW Electoral Commission

Supplementary questions - NSW Ombudsman

Supplementary questions - Public Service Commission

Thursday 20 August 2026 - ​​Lands and Property, Multiculturalism, Sport, Jobs and Tourism (Kamper)

Portfolio Committee No. 4 - Regional NSW - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Jubilee Room

Hearing schedule

Transcript

Highlighted questions on notice

Supplementary questions

Friday 21 August 2026 - Treasurer (Mookhey)

Portfolio Committee No. 1 - Premier and Finance - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Jubilee Room

Hearing schedule

Transcript

Highlighted questions on notice

Supplementary questions

Friday 21 August 2026 - Roads, Regional Transport (Aitchison)

Portfolio Committee No. 6 - Transport and the Arts - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Macquarie Room

Hearing schedule

Transcript

Highlighted questions on notice

Supplementary questions

Monday 24 August 2026 - Planning and Public Spaces (Scully)

Portfolio Committee No. 7 - Planning and Environment - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Macquarie Room

Hearing schedule

Transcript

Highlighted questions on notice

Supplementary questions

Monday 24 August 2026 - Better Regulation and Fair Trading, Industry and Trade, Innovation, Science and Technology, Building, Corrections (Chanthivong)​

Portfolio Committee No. 8 - Customer Service - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Jubilee Room

Hearing schedule

Transcript

Highlighted questions on notice

Supplementary questions

Tuesday 25 August 2026 - Families and Communities, Disability Inclusion (Washington)

Portfolio Committee No. 5 - Justice and Communities - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Macquarie Room

Hearing schedule

Transcript

Highlighted questions on notice

Supplementary questions

Tuesday 25 August 2026 - The Legislature (Franklin)

Portfolio Committee No. 1 - Premier and Finance - Inquiry page

9:15am - 1:00pm, Jubilee Room

Hearing schedule

Transcript

Highlighted questions on notice

Supplementary questions

Wednesday 26 August 2026 - Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty, Gaming and Racing, Veterans, the Central Coast, Medical Research (Harris)

Portfolio Committee No. 1 - Premier and Finance - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Jubilee Room

Hearing schedule

Media release

Transcript

Highlighted questions on notice

Supplementary questions

Wednesday 26 August 2026 - Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education (Whan)

Portfolio Committee No. 3 - Education - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Macquarie Room

Hearing schedule

Transcript

Highlighted questions on notice

Supplementary questions - Minister

Supplementary questions - Macquarie University

Supplementary questions - University of New South Wales

Supplementary questions - University of Sydney

Thursday 27 August 2026 - Health, Regional Health, the Illawarra and the South Coast (Park)

Portfolio Committee No. 2 - Health - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Macquarie Room

Hearing schedule

Transcript

Thursday 27 August 2026 - Women, Seniors, Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (Harrison)

Portfolio Committee No. 5 - Justice and Communities - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Jubilee Room

Hearing schedule

Transcript

Friday 28 August 2026 - Police and Counter Terrorism, the Hunter (Catley)

Portfolio Committee No. 5 - Justice and Communities - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Macquarie Room

Hearing schedule

Transcript

Friday 28 August 2026 - Small Business, Recovery, North Coast (Saffin)

Portfolio Committee No. 8 - Customer Service - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Jubilee Room

Hearing schedule

Transcript

Monday 31 August 2026 - Special Minister of State, Transport, Arts, Music and the Night-time Economy (Graham)

Portfolio Committee No. 6 - Transport and the Arts - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Macquarie Room

Hearing schedule

Transcript

Monday 31 August 2026 - Attorney-General (Daley)

Portfolio Committee No. 5 - Justice and Communities - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Jubilee Room

Hearing schedule

Transcript

Tuesday 1 September 2026 - Agriculture, Regional New South Wales, Western New South Wales (Moriarty)

Portfolio Committee No. 4 - Regional NSW - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Jubilee Room

Hearing schedule

Tuesday 1 September 2026 - Industrial Relations, Work Health and Safety (Cotsis)

Portfolio Committee No. 1 - Premier and Finance - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Macquarie Room

Hearing schedule

Wednesday 2 September 2026 - Local Government (Hoenig)

Portfolio Committee No. 8 - Customer Service - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Macquarie Room

Hearing schedule

Wednesday 2 September 2026 - Finance, Domestic Manufacturing and Government Procurement, Natural Resources (Houssos)

Portfolio Committee No. 1 - Premier and Finance - Inquiry page

9:15am - 5:30pm, Jubilee Room

Hearing schedule

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