The Northern Rivers Times
June 30, 2022
NSW BUDGET 2022-23
20 NEWS
Budget lages behind Qld’s billions for flood recovery Lismore MP Janelle Saffin believes the NSW Budget handed down lags behind Queensland’s simultaneous $1.7-billion allocation for disaster recovery and resilience in 2022-23. “I’m disappointed that the NSW Government did not use this Budget to unlock serious funding to ‘build back better’ here in the Northern Rivers region,” Ms Saffin said. “After all, the February flood hit both states just as hard. “I can only hope that Queenslandstyle funding announcements will flow once the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation stands up from July 1, and it underlines the need for a NSW version of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority. “There really is an urgent need to secure a joint NSWCommonwealth Flood Reconstruction Recovery Package and I’ve put forward suggestions at the highest levels based on my observations and advocacy since the flood. “Budget confirmation of a $132.7-million investment in the State Emergency
Service is a welcome start, particularly for a new Incident Control Centre in Lismore and a facility upgrade for Murwillumbah SES.” However, Ms Saffin said the Murwillumbah community continued to be cheated because the Budget had nothing for a longpromised 24-hour police station for the town. Ms Saffin welcomed Budget confirmation of an extra $149.5 million to expand the Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS) as long overdue. “It’s an utter disgrace that there is no new money indicated for housing needs and the housing crisis right across the Northern Rivers, which was dire before the floods and is now calamitous. “No continuation of the 16 weeks of rent assistance or acceleration of housing for flood-impacted communities, no jobs economic development program, no budget for fixing potholes or landslips, no river clean-up, and no school upgrades in the Lismore Electorate.”
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Steadfast support for The NSW Government is setting the stage for the State’s prosperity, delivering a transformational budget that will secure a brighter future for New South Wales by offering steadfast support for families and businesses. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said: “The people of New South Wales have stood tall through enormous challenges over the past few years, and this budget backs in their efforts, with more steadfast support, stronger services, and strategic reform to set our State up for a brighter future. Key highlights from the Budget for North Coast include:
• $1.7 million for the Imaging Service upgrade across Mid North Coast Local Health District Continued delivery of the: • $723.3 million Tweed Hospital and Integrated Ambulatory Services and car park • $312.8 million redevelopment for the Lismore Hospital redevelopment (Stages 3A, B, and C) • $263.8 million redevelopment for the Grafton Base Hospital • $194.0 million Coffs Harbour Hospital expansion • $21.5 million Port Macquarie Hospital Helipad Relocation and car park
EDUCATION New funding: • $3.2 million in 2022-23 to expand the TAFE campus at Kingscliff • $2.9 million in 2022-23 for the Coffs Harbour TAFE Optimisation. • $2.5 million in 2022-23 for the Northern Rivers Education, Training and Research Hub • $886,000 in 2022-23 to relocate the Lennox Head Public School Continued funding: • $70.1 million in 2022-23 to deliver major upgrades at Kingscliff Public School, Tweed Heads South Public School, Kingscliff High School, Bangalow Public School, Hastings Secondary College, Teven – Tintenbar Public School and Bexhill Public School • $40.2 million in 2022-23 to deliver the new Murwillumbah Education Campus • $10.1 million in 2022-23 to deliver skills facilities at Tweed River High School for the VET Pilot Program, in conjunction with ongoing major upgrades
REGIONAL NSW Grants to boost local economies, including: • $11.1 million to support the expansion of the Treelands Drive Community Hub and improve the accessibility of services to the community • $10.0 million to upgrade and install new infrastructure in Casino to develop a 13 ha industrial park to facilitate the growth and expansion of local industry • $4.9 million to upgrade the Astronomy Science Centre in Port Macquarie
HEALTH New funding: • $4.2 million for the Medical Equipment upgrade across Mid North Coast Local Health District • $2.5 million for the Kempsey Heritage Building refurbishment • $2.0 million for planning for the Ballina Hospital redevelopment
Little for social housing in New South Wales budget Social Futures is disappointed that the New South Wales government passed on the opportunity to invest in social housing in the recent state budget. Social Futures CEO Tony Davies has welcomed the
TRANSPORT • $1.4 billion over four years to continue construction of the Coffs Harbour Bypass, which will improve safety and reduce travel time, as well as removing through traffic from local roads (state and federally funded) • $39.3 million to deliver road improvements along Waterfall Way from the Pacific Highway at Raleigh to Armidale • $2.0 million, as part of the $20 million commitment, to fast track the Oxley Highway/Pacific Highway Interchange at Port Macquarie, as part of the Oxley Highway Future Growth Program
government’s funding for flood recovery in northern New South Wales, but was disappointed the budget did not include more for low-income communities. “As a result of the floods, the Northern Rivers, which was a very vulnerable community, is now more vulnerable,” Mr Davies said.
STRONGER COMMUNITIES • $52.7 million for the construction of new regional police stations to maximise productivity and meet the current and future needs of the NSW Police Force and community at Port Macquarie and Byron Bay • $3.5 million to fit out premises for the Firearms Registry CUSTOMER SERVICE • $14.6 million for the Mission Critical Emergency Services Messaging Program, a centralised mission-critical emergency services paging network including upgrade and consolidation of existing agency networks into one whole-of-government paging network PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT • $168.0 million to deliver new social and police housing, as well as repair and replace existing homes damaged during the floods • $70.0 million to repair and replace flood-damaged housing for First Nations people across the mid and north coast regions of New South Wales • $56.4 million for the Dorrigo Escarpment Walk and Arc Rainforest visitor experience • $32.9 million to enhance biosecurity for Lord Howe Island to
“I would have liked to have seen a massive commitment to social housing in this budget. Around New South Wales there are around 50,000 households on the waiting list for social housing.” Mr Davies said before the floods many Northern Rivers towns, including Lismore, had waiting lists of more
than 10 years for social housing and the floods had clearly exacerbated homelessness. “There have been statements from government saying they will commit to social housing, but in reality, there has been virtually no social housing built in the Northern Rivers by government in the last decade,” he said.
