MANY BUDGET MISSES FOR THE REGIONS
I thought this year’s federal budget was another mixed bag for the Central West.
On the positive side, the budget is again back in black for the second year, with a further surplus of $9.3 billion.
There were also some positives around cost-of-living measures with a $300 energy rebate, tax cuts, cheaper medicines, and support for students. These measures will help ease some hip pocket pain for residents across our region.
The extension of the Regional Airports Program has assisted a number of our local airports, so I welcome the funding extension of this program, as I do the extension of funding for the Clontarf Foundation to support young Indigenous men in our schools.
Orange Seniors Village Hub Funding Cut
One of the glaring omissions of the Budget was a lack of funding for the Orange Seniors Village Hub which supports hundreds of local seniors in Orange. I was hoping for alternative funding to keep our Village Hub going but it hasn’t been forthcoming. This is a disgrace and a real blow to the seniors of our area.
Great Western Highway Still Owed $1.91 billion
The Budget allocated $116 million to realign and widen the Great Western Highway for approximately 2.4 kilometres and include a new interchange at the Coxs River Road intersection.
By my calculation the Federal Government still owes the Great Western Highway project $1.91 billion that was cruelly snatched away in one of the biggest government money heists in history, so there won’t be too many people turning cartwheels or popping champagne corks over this announcement. Our communities demand nothing less than the full restoration of the $2.03 billion the government shockingly looted from the Great Western Highway last year.
Rural Doctor Shortage Not Addressed
Regional Australia is experiencing a drastic shortage of doctors, and this shortage has not been adequately addressed in the Budget. Increasing bulk billing numbers will not solve this.
While the $47.5 million over four years to expand national and state‐based virtual health services is positive, it’s simply not a substitute for having more doctors in the regions. The rural doctor shortage becomes more acute by the day.
Early Education Shortage Not Addressed
Another glaring omission was the lack of funding for more preschool and childcare/early education places. This shortage also continues to hit country communities hard.
Domestic Violence Funding Must Flow to Regions
I was pleased to see $1 billion put towards crisis and transitional accommodation for women and children fleeing domestic violence. With our nation in a domestic violence crisis, we need to ensure that this funding flows to communities in regional NSW that have significantly higher rates of reported violence than other locations.
Lack of Further Disaster Funding
Unfortunately, further funding for disaster recovery in the Central West has not been delivered. There was no additional funding on top of the $50 million already committed by the federal government for recovery from the 2022 storms and floods. This was also very disappointing.
While the government gets credit on the positives, there’s a lot of missing funding in this Budget that will leave many across our region feeling very let down.
ENDS
Media contact: Sinéad Fogarty, 0417 852 386