Cost of living pressures, shortages of affordable housing and increasing numbers of retiring teachers are creating unique challenges for the education sector in Western Australia when it comes to attracting and retaining teachers and support staff.
The median rent in Western Australia has increased by 74 per cent since 2021, according to Anglicare WA’s 2026 Rental Affordability Snapshot, while the number of private rentals across the state has fallen by 6 per cent in the past year alone.
Essential workers, including teachers, often find themselves priced out of the housing market in the suburbs or regions where they work. Add in significant increases in petrol prices in the first half of 2026, three Reserve Bank interest rate rises, and climbing grocery and utility bills, and it’s not surprising that WA teachers’ wages and family budgets are under pressure.
SmartTM is Australia’s largest salary packaging and novated leasing provider. Smart’s Head of Customer Delivery and Operations, Danielle Crawford, says cost pressures are prompting a broader rethink of how organisations support and retain essential workers.
“While salary remains important, there is increasing recognition that benefits and financial wellbeing initiatives can play a meaningful role in helping employees manage rising living costs,” she says.
Perth-based Ms Crawford, who has more than 14 years’ experience in salary packaging, says the business case for employers has never been stronger.
“In a world where rising living costs are becoming the norm, rather than the exception, employer-led solutions are gaining traction,” she says.
“Benefits such as salary packaging can help employees reduce their taxable income and increase their take-home pay. In the education sector, novated leasing is one of the most popular salary packaging benefits because it can reduce the cost of owning and running a car and help employees stretch their pay further.
“A car is typically one of the largest household expenses after housing and for many education employees – particularly in regional and remote areas – it’s a non-negotiable.”
Smart partners with around 170 Catholic schools and more than 830 public schools across Western Australia, to offer salary packaging and novated lease options to their 50,000 employees.
Ms Crawford says novated leases are one of the tools available to teachers to reduce their taxable income and stretch their budget further.
She says the additional savings available on electric vehicles purchased with a novated lease are helping many workers – herself included – to slash their fuel bills to zero.
“The Federal Budget confirmed the phased continuation of EV tax concessions under the Electric Car Discount, meaning the switch to an EV remains affordable for working Australians, including teachers across Western Australia,” Ms Crawford says.
Perth teacher Jennifer William Dungal is among those taking advantage of salary packaging with Smart to switch to an EV. She took delivery of her new Tesla Model Y in April, choosing the vehicle for its longer range.
“My husband and I had been thinking about an EV to reduce the cost of our daily commute. We made the decision before the increase in petrol prices and we are so glad we did,” Ms William Dungal says.
“It’s the first time I’ve had a novated lease but I was attracted by the amount of tax I could save. Now we are looking forward to going on some long drives to explore WA.”
Smart’s data shows that EVs increased from 22 per cent of new vehicles leased in Western Australia during the first half of 2025 to 45 per cent in the six months to December 2025.
Demand for electric vehicles has continued to grow amid rising fuel prices and ongoing concerns about energy costs. Smart saw EVs reach about 59 per cent of new vehicle orders nationally in Q1 of 2026.
The WA Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure reports there are now more than 41,000 battery electric vehicles and 11,000 plug-in hybrid vehicles registered in Western Australia.
Nichole and Ian Rowson are among the growing number of Western Australians making the switch to electric vehicles.
Mrs Rowson, who works in education, had already switched to a hybrid on a Smart novated lease. The Perth couple have now swapped the second family car from a petrol model to an electric BYD, opting for another novated lease to save on tax.
“I’m travelling up to 600km each week and was spending around $100 every time I fuelled up. We have access to significantly cheaper charging at home and work, so it was an easy decision to save money by switching our second car to an EV,” Mr Rowson says.
Ms Crawford expects the popularity of novated leases in the education sector will only continue to grow.
“While the uncertainty over global fuel supplies and pricing remains, we’ll see even more Western Australians considering an EV to save on their vehicle running costs and to have greater certainty over their weekly budget.”
Smart’s Head of Customer Delivery and Operations, Danielle Crawford, has switched to an EV on a novated lease, along with an increasing number of WA education employees.
