Regional communities are at the centre of the 2020-21 NSW Budget with the Deputy Premier John Barilaro today confirming historic investment in roads, hospitals, education, recovery and resilience efforts and transformational infrastructure across regional NSW.
Mr Barilaro said the Budget would help fuel a regionally-led recovery in NSW reviving regional areas, attracting investment and ensuring regional NSW continues to be a fantastic place to live, study, work and raise a family.
“Today’s budget announces an unprecedented $8.7 billion in 2020-21 for regional transport and roads to improve our road network across the State, for those transporting food and fibre, travelling for leisure or driving home each night from a long day at work,” Mr Barilaro said.
“We are investing more than $900 million to build and upgrade regional hospitals and healthcare facilities across the State, delivering improved services for families in rural and remote areas and more than $650 million on regional schools, ensuring quality education no matter where you live in the State.
“This Budget also sees a $2.7 billion investment in regional projects and initiatives to revive regional areas, back businesses and attract investment.
“We are boosting the transformational Regional Growth Fund with a further $300 million, bringing the fund’s total to $2 billion, to deliver new rounds of popular programs including $100 million for Round Four of the Stronger Country Communities Fund, plus a further $75 million for Resources for Regions Round Eight.
“This means essential funding will continue for programs over the next two years with a dedicated focus on social, economic and industry recovery, to provide stimulus, restore destroyed structures, retain existing jobs, maintain production, strengthen supply chains and develop industry sustainability.
“To aid recovery and resilience in regional communities, we continue to invest in bushfire recovery support with more than $4 billion to date. This budget also includes more than 90 new and accelerated regional projects to the tune of $1.8 billion from the $3 billion Jobs and Infrastructure Acceleration Fund. Total drought and water security support has reached more than $4 billion to date with an additional $310 million to help farmers rebound from the drought.
“Today’s budget is about bridging the city and bush divide and making sure people living in regional, rural and remote areas have access to the same world-class facilities and services as those in the city.
“This record funding will deliver legacy projects and significant benefit to regional communities for generations to come, because we know that the regions are unparalleled and there is nowhere else, we’d rather be.”
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Highlights from the 2020-21 Budget for regional NSW include:
- $8.7 billion in 2020-21 for regional roads and transport
- $4.5 billion in drought assistance and water security support to date
- $4.4 billion in bushfire recovery support to date
- more than $900 million in 2020-21 for regional hospitals and healthcare facilities
- more than 90 regional projects are funded to the tune of $1.8 billion from the $3 billion Jobs and Infrastructure Acceleration Fund
- more than $650 million for regional schools’ infrastructure
- $600 million over four years through the Snowy Hydro Legacy Fund for Special Activation Precincts and the Regional Digital Connectivity Program
- $300 million over two years to top-up for the now $2 billion Regional Growth Fund to support growing regional centres, activate local economies and improve services
- almost $106 million over four years to the Resources Regulator to regulate mine and petroleum safety in relation to Work Health and Safety compliance and enforcement
- $100 million over two years for the Regional Job Creation Fund to help attract and expand businesses across regional NSW
- almost $51 million over three years for World Class Food and Fibre Program Stage Two
- more than $45 million over four years for research and investment in carbon capture, use and storage and low emissions coal technology projects from the Coal Innovation Fund
- more than $43 million over two years for combating pests, weeds and plant and animal diseases in rural communities following the drought and bushfires.
