Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers has delivered what he says is a “solid and sensible” budget.
Not everyone is a winner, but the Hunter has received funding for a few projects that had been previously announced.
Labor has made good on promises including:
- restore funding to the GP Access After Hours services with $28.7 million over the next six years,
- $100 million to “support Newcastle and the Hunter region to become hydrogen-ready” through the $672.7 million seven-year funding bucket “Northern Australia Projects and Supporting Clean Energy in the Hunter”
- $55 million for the upgrade works for Newcastle Airport with $15 million this year and the rest in 2023-24 for the new terminal
- $1.1 million over 4 years from 2022–23 to reopen the Kaden Centre
- $10.5 million for Muswellbrook Town Centre and $268.8 million for the New England Highway – Muswellbrook Bypass
- $500 million for the Newcastle to Sydney high-speed rail corridor
- Funding for 967 teaching, nursing and engineering student places at the University of Newcastle
- $5.5 million for Muswellbrook Olympic Park
- $7,000 for the Msuwellbrook Preschool Playgroup
- $3 million for Singleton’s Alroy Oval Precinct
- $250,000 for Singleton Rugby Club amenities fit out and change rooms
- $1 million Cessnock Regional Skate Park
- $500,000 for MNX Facility upgrade at Carmichael Park
- $373,000 for Cessnock Goannas Lighting upgrade
- Urgent Care Clinic at Cessnock Hospital
- $56 million for Mandalong Road upgrades
- $10 million for a dredge for Lake Macquarie and $10 million for a grouting fund
- $250,000 for Mums Cottage upgrades
- $250,000 for Urban River projects
- $65,000 for Edgeworth Eagles fencing and lighting
- The new Maitland Hospital will share in $12.4 million-dollars over four years from this year to provide Medicare eligibility for the MRI machine.
Parents are the big winners — from July next year families who earn less than $80,000 will have their childcare subsidy lift from 85 to 90 per cent, and as we already knew the paid parental leave scheme is increasing as well.
One million new affordable homes will be built over five years from 2024, scripts on the PBS are dropping to $30 per script, there’s more free TAFE places, 20-thousand university places in skills of need for under-represented groups and there’s more money for GPs, aged care workers and pensioners can earn more.
More to come.