Disaster-hit regions to receive state budget patch-up job

Regional NSW will receive a multibillion-dollar patch-and-repair job to deal with the long impact of natural disasters and stretched services in growing communities.

The government will pour money into recovery measures as well as school and hospital infrastructure after Tuesday’s budget, which was criticised by political opponents for failing to provide direct support to those doing it tough.

Health services and housing have been stretched in many areas outside the cities amid a post-COVID population shift, while repeat flooding incidents have left regional roads in a state of disrepair.

Regional Minister Tara Moriarty said the budget was part of a plan to provide better services to people regardless of where in the state they lived.

“This budget is a blueprint for how we will build a better NSW and strengthen regional communities,” she said.

Damaged roads and transport infrastructure will receive $3.3 billion in a post-disaster rebuilding package.

It forms part of a four-year $5.7 billion recovery program, co-funded by the Commonwealth, including money to repair and rebuild water and sewerage infrastructure, and enhance emergency responses.

The spending will also include $632 million for housing across parts of the flood-ravaged Northern Rivers and central west, including for voluntary home buybacks, as well as retrofitting, repairs and raising.

NSW Nationals leader Dugald Saunders criticised the government for not extending voucher programs for families and travel concessions for students and apprentices.

“Cost-of-living wise there’s nothing at all in here for regional people,” he said.

Some announcements targeting regional areas would still flow to cities, Mr Saunders added.

“Regional NSW is not Newcastle, Sydney, Wollongong, it is outside of those areas that regional NSW thrives,” he said.

More than 3.2 million people live in regional NSW and extra money will be provided to support additional homes and services.

The state will chip in $85 million towards a total pool of $201.9 million for fast-tracked infrastructure in growth areas.

New and upgraded schools around the regions will receive $1.4 billion.

Teacher shortages persist and 26 more regional schools will be able to offer recruitment and relocation bonuses in a bid to attract staff.

In the state’s west, $10 million will go towards expanding early childhood education at Bourke, Broken Hill and Cobar, among a trio of initial investments from the state’s regional development trust fund.

Elsewhere, $15 million in improvements to airstrips and $5 million in economic development support for Indigenous businesses and organisations will come out of the fund, which will receive an extra $50 million.

A payroll tax rebate for GP clinics will kick in earlier outside Sydney, with regional clinics that bulk-bill at least 70 per cent of patients able to claim the incentive.

The budget also allocates $196.5 million to continue the redevelopment of regional hospitals at Eurobodalla, Temora, Moree, Cessnock and Shellharbour.

Port Macquarie Hospital is in line for a $265 million upgrade.

More than $200 million will fund accommodation for key health workers in regional and rural hospitals to reduce the reliance on fly-in, fly-out locums.