Bathurst MP Paul Toole has slammed the budget for being "city-centric" and has claimed the Labor Government has turned its back on regional NSW.
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Treasurer Daniel Mookhey delivered his second budget on Tuesday, complaining the latest Commonwealth distribution of GST funds had ripped $11.9 billion out of NSW over the next four years and doomed the state to nine years of deficits.
Mr Toole said Bathurst hadn't received anything new from the budget, saying the $200 million Bathurst Hospital Redevelopment and the Bathurst Secondary School Community Group Renewal had already been allocated in previous budgets by his former NSW Government.
"It's a city-centric budget that focuses on western Sydney and shows the NSW Labor Government is turning its back on regional NSW," he said.
"In the coming days, we'll be going over this budget line-by-line but it seems like a very lacklustre budget, with no additional projects across the Central West."
![Bathurst MP Paul Toole slams the NSW Labor Government's latest budget. Picture by Phil Blatch Bathurst MP Paul Toole slams the NSW Labor Government's latest budget. Picture by Phil Blatch](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/33jmgggMux4cQ6bJ2r3hFg4/fa3e0fe2-b416-415b-b05c-8bbdd88f2201.jpg/r0_292_5472_3624_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Mr Mookhey announced the state would spend an extra $4 billion to build 8400 new and replacement social housing dwellings over the next four years, though the government has not yet decided how many of those will be built in the Central West.
The government says the funding will increase the pool of social housing by 6200 dwellings, half of which will be allocated to women and children escaping domestic violence.
While the government's push to build 100 new public preschools across the state will continue, and the budget revealed half of those will be in regional NSW, just one of those is flagged for the Central West and Orana zone. It will be constructed at the Parkes East Public School.
It comes as the budget papers show the zone's population has increased in the two years since 2021 by almost 3000 people - the same amount of people as the population of Blayney.
The total population of the Central West and Orana zone in 2023 was 294,005 people.
Key infrastructure across shires left unfunded
In response to the budget, Member for Orange Phil Donato says he's "disappointed" key infrastructure left devastated by the November, 2022 flooding across Cabonne and Parkes was left unfunded.
He said "investment in new infrastructure appears to be down on previous years".
He acknowledged the 2024-25 state budget includes previously pledged flood-response funding packages, but said flood-damaged water and sewerage infrastructure across the region remains unfunded.
![Member for Orange Phil Donato, Premier Chris Minns, Vice Chancelor Renee Leon in Orange. Picture by Jude Keogh Member for Orange Phil Donato, Premier Chris Minns, Vice Chancelor Renee Leon in Orange. Picture by Jude Keogh](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GHcbaSNijNeVS4SULWDX8n/6ca60159-6e67-443d-8591-f2524fbeefd8.JPG/r0_422_8256_5082_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Mr Donato said that's despite him "vigorously lobbying" Premier Chris Minns, Water Minister Rose Jackson and Mr Mookhey.
"I understand the Minns Government has inherited a COVID-induced debt and they're exercising fiscal responsibility in their mission to lift the state out from under it, however the significant flood damage to Parkes and Cabonne communities' essential infrastructure should have been a priority for our electorate," he said.
Mr Donato said increases to the essential front-line workforce, outlined by a pledge of more than $200 million to deliver accommodation to house health workers in regional and remote NSW and the commitment to fund domestic violence support were positives for Orange, among others.
"The government has favourably responded to the collective lobbying of the crossbench, delivering millions in funding to keep organisations such as Royal Far West and Little Wings continue their important work in delivering health, allied health services and transporting regional and remote-based patients to essential medical services," Mr Donato said.
Across the region
More broadly, the Central West and Orana regions - which makes up the LGAs of Bathurst, Blayney, Bogan, Cabonne, Coonamble, Cowra, Dubbo Regional, Forbes, Gilgandra, Lachlan, Lithgow, Mid-Western Regional, Narromine, Oberon, Orange, Parkes, Warren, Warrumbungle Shire and Weddin - have been allocated the following funding out of the budget.
Health
Continuation of the:
- $200 million Bathurst Hospital Redevelopment
- $117.9 million Orange Base Hospital Cyclical Maintenance
- $110.2 million Cowra Hospital Redevelopment
- $8.3 million Canowindra HealthOne project.
![Minister for regional NSW Tara Moriarty in Orange. Picture by Jude Keogh Minister for regional NSW Tara Moriarty in Orange. Picture by Jude Keogh](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GHcbaSNijNeVS4SULWDX8n/5320f3e0-29ff-43ad-9b6b-a1fecbf8466f.JPG/r0_459_8256_5119_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Education
- A new public preschool located at Parkes East Public School as part of the NSW Government's 100 new public preschools election commitment.
- A new preschool for Eugowra Community Childcare as part of a $17 million grants program for early childhood places.
- Upgrade for Orana Heights Public School.
- Upgrade of science facilities at Trundle Central School
- Bathurst Secondary School Community Group Renewal
- 969 education staff made permanent.
Transport
- $432.2 million to continue the delivery of Parkes bypass, new Dubbo Bridge, heavy duty pavement upgrades, and investigations for flood mitigation solutions on the Newell Highway between West Wyalong and Forbes (NSW and Australian Government funded).
- $200.3 million to continue construction of the duplication of 1.1 kilometres of the Great Western Highway through Medlow Bath, and duplication on the Little Hartley to Lithgow section of the Great Western Highway at Coxs River Road (NSW and Australian Government funded).
- $132.0 million to enable grade separations on the Inland Rail alignment south of Parkes (NSW and Australian Government funded).
- The Central West will benefit from $28.6 million allocated to contribute to building new heavy vehicle rest stops that will help combat driver fatigue.
Planning, housing and infrastructure
- $40 million for the Central West Housing Program, to enable flood tolerance for existing houses including house raisings, repairs, retrofits and voluntary buybacks.
- Continuation of the $58.2 million new purpose-built office hub in Dubbo.
Communities and justice
- $2.1 million for flood damage repair works at Molong and Eugowra police stations.
- Continuation of the $40.9 million project for the construction of the NSW Police Dubbo Regional Education and Training Centre.
Climate change, energy, the environment and water
- $36.3 million for the Nyngan to Cobar Pipeline and Pumping Station.
Regional NSW
- $4.8 million to upgrade facilities at the Orange Agricultural Institute, including administration buildings, the State Emergency Centre and glasshouses.
- Continuation of $332.2 million to transform Parkes into a national freight and logistics hub.