On 21 June, 2022, the NSW Government handed down the budget for 2022-23. Below are the summary budget measures for the Snowy Monaro region, the South-East and Tablelands and Regional NSW as a whole.
The section for Snowy Monaro are those measures which are specific to our region. The South-East and Tablelands measure may include funding for the Snowy Monaro region, along with the other 9 Local Government Areas which form the South-East and Tablelands region.
The budget measures for Regional NSW are those which the NSW Government has included in the budget overview that provide benefit to regional NSW. The devil will be in the detail for some of these budget measures as to the extent (if at all) they benefit the Snowy Monaro region.
Snowy Monaro Region Specific Budget Measures
$15.0 million Key Health Worker Accommodation across Southern NSW Local Health District.
Continued delivery of $24.2 million Cooma Hospital redevelopment.
$69.4 million in 2022-23 for construction of the Jindabyne Education Campus.
$11.5 million to continue construction on the Monaro Highway upgrade program.
$13.0 million to deliver the construction of Jindabyne/ Perisher/Thredbo Police Stations Program.
Continued delivery of the Snowies Iconic Walk by providing an additional $27.2 million.
$391.3 million for the Snowy Mountains SAP, including the new Southern Connector Road in partnership with the Commonwealth Government, expanding the visitor economy to a year-round destination to increase investment and jobs in the area.
$21.1 million for the Mission-Critical Emergency Services Messaging Program.
Across the South East and Tablelands
$3.7 million to deliver new and upgraded quality homes for First Nations people through the Aboriginal Housing Office.
Across Regional NSW
Support for the Regional Health System
$149.5 million to expand access to, and eligibility for, the Isolated Patient Travel and Accommodation Scheme, allowing more people in remote locations to access critical healthcare services over four years.
$2.4 billion over 10 years to provide flexible and bespoke recruitment and retention incentives to build and sustain the rural and regional health workforce.
Support for Cross-Border Communities
Expand support for these communities with $13.3 million to the Office of the NSW Cross-Border Commissioner, to:
o modernise cross-border arrangements through interjurisdictional agreements
o advocate for cross-border communities, businesses and organisations.
Support for Regional Youth
$59.0 million for additional regional youth initiatives to support children and young people across regional New South Wales
Expanding the Regional Growth Fund
$250.0 million to expand the Stronger Country Communities Fund, supporting grassroots projects to reinvigorate rural communities.
$230.0 million to support tourism development projects and enabling infrastructure, leveraging recent significant growth in regional tourism and supporting job creation.
$220.0 million to expand the Resources for Regions program, supporting the ongoing prosperity of mining communities by improving economic opportunities and local amenities and creating positive social outcomes.
$175.0 million for economic activation, providing investment to existing key industries in regional New South Wales.
$100.0 million for the Regional Job Creation Fund to support NSW businesses to grow and incentivise interstate and international businesses to invest in regional New South Wales.
$65.0 million for Regional Events Acceleration to allow them to reach a wider audience across the regions.
$20.0 million to support projects and events for the activation of business opportunities in community facilities.
$18.4 million for local community and cultural events to bring people together.
$9.6 million to support and strengthen regional communities and councils, including priority projects and partnerships.
High Quality and Affordable Housing
$174.0 million for 271 new homes to clear the waitlist for key workers in regional and remote New South Wales.
$149.8 million to deliver 200 new homes and 260 upgrades to State and community-owned properties in First Nations communities, with about 80 per cent of the funds to be spent in regional New South Wales.
$120.0 million for Accelerated Infrastructure Fund grants to co-fund critical enabling infrastructure across regional NSW councils.
$33.8 million for the Regional Housing Development Program, including expanding the Urban Development Program (supporting 127,000 new homes in the 10-year pipeline).
$32.0 million to deliver planning and infrastructure upgrades to First Nations communities through the Roads to Home program, supporting access to essential services.
Boosting Household Budgets
$1.3 billion for the Brighter Beginnings Affordable Preschool initiative to provide fee relief for children across both the community and mobile preschool and long day-care sectors.
$193.0 million for the Back to School Subsidy, providing $150 to every NSW schoolchild towards the cost of school supplies in 2023.
$128.0 million Energy Bill Buster program to help eligible households reduce their power bills by installing free solar panels and more efficient appliances.
$98.0 million to provide a $250 prepaid Regional Apprentice and Uni Travel Card for university students and apprentices in regional New South Wales each year to ease the cost of travel.
Partnering with First Nations Communities
$30.0 million for the Community and Place program, providing grants of up to $250,000 to community-controlled organisations to support place-based initiatives.
$15.0 million as part of the State Water Strategy for an integrated set of initiatives that deliver the first Aboriginal Water Strategy for New South Wales.
$12.5 million for the development of new housing design standards and wraparound service approaches for First Nations people in regional communities.
$9.9 million to pilot an Aboriginal Legal Service Child and Family Advocacy and Support program in Western New South Wales and a state-wide telephone advice, advocacy, referral and support service.
$9.8 million to establish local place-based partnerships, including support for Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) to form local and regional coalitions.
$6.2 million to undertake research and evaluation and deliver a pilot program in partnership with local ACCOs to improve digital connectivity and inclusion in First Nations communities.
Stronger Regional Economies and Communities
$145.0 million to establish the Regional Investment Activation Program to make regional New South Wales the location of choice for investors, facilitating new private sector investment to activate the potential of priority precincts and industries.
$130.0 million to grow investment in mining and exploration by implementing the NSW Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Strategy, providing enabling infrastructure and developing skills in critical minerals mining and processing.
$28.0 million to support landowners to implement new Private Native Forestry Codes of Practice to encourage forest stewardship, diversify on-farm incomes and improve productivity and environmental outcomes for farm forestry.
$9.0 million for a Regional Concierge Service to attract key workers to the regions, focusing on factors outside work that influence a person’s decision to live and work in regional areas.
$3.6 million to continue supporting young pre-elite athletes in the lead up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.
$1.2 million to support local businesses to expand and supply the defence and aerospace industry through the Regional Defence Networks Program.
Resilience and Recovery
$147.9 million for extending hazard reduction activities.
$129.7 million for firefighting tanker replacements and safety upgrades.
$27.7 million over four years to upgrade and operate national parks radio infrastructure enabling firefighters to gain critical access to the NSW Public Safety Network.
$10.0 million to continue the delivery of critical strategic fire trails.
For national parks, this takes the total Budget investment to $173.8 million, which will establish an additional 200 permanent firefighter roles and 50 bushfire conservation roles.
Investing in Transformational Infrastructure
$100.0 million for the Gig State project to upgrade digital network infrastructure to deliver metro-level internet services to regional businesses and residents.
$50.0 million for Mobile Coverage Stage 1, investing in infrastructure and emerging technologies to deliver improved mobile coverage across regional New South Wales.
$47.9 million for the Farms of the Future program, supporting farmers to adopt agtech devices and apps.
$391.3 million for the Snowy Mountains SAP, including the new Southern Connector Road in partnership with the Commonwealth Government, expanding the visitor economy to a year-round destination to increase investment and jobs in the area.
Transport
$201.2 million for a range of regional transport programs and projects including the Fixing Country Bridges program, continued planning and delivery of the 16 Cities program, and supporting regional councils through the Fixing Local Roads program.
$193.0 million over two years to support the upgrades of priority regional roads transferred to the State, as part of the NSW Government’s Regional Road Transfer and Road Classification Review.
$60.2 million over two years for the Fixing Country Rail program, to continue to deliver improved capacity and reliability of the regional rail network and deliver a highly functional network for moving freight in and out of regional areas.
Energy
$110.0 million to build low-carbon industry by providing grants for new business activities to competitively produce low-emissions materials.
$105.0 million investment in the Renewable Manufacturing Fund to ensure New South Wales captures the jobs and investment benefits of the renewable energy transition.
$45.9 million to expand the Pumped Hydro grants program to add a further 1.4 GW of storage capacity to the grid.
Primary Industries
$163.9 million in 2022-23 to bolster the State’s response and readiness capability to future biosecurity incursions, including enhanced response targeting endemic species.
$58.0 million to undertake repair work on state forestry roads and related infrastructure as part of the Forestry Land Stabilisation and Repair Program.
$17.1 million to continue the Farm Business Resilience Program and Rural Financial Counselling Service, which provides farmers with the skills and knowledge they need to build resilience to future droughts and natural disasters.
Protecting and Enjoying Our Natural Environment
$206.2 million over 10 years to enhance the State's natural capital by rewarding farmers who opt-in to a Sustainable Farming accreditation program.
$106.7 million to establish a new Biodiversity Credits Supply Fund, to purchase and make available biodiversity credits for re-sale to public and private proponents, enabling sustainable development and rewarding landholders who use their land for conservation.
$145.9 million to continue to deliver the NSW Koala Strategy, targeted at conservation actions with the long-term goal of doubling koala numbers in New South Wales by 2050.
$60.0 million to continue the Saving our Species program, the State’s flagship threatened species conservation program, maximising the number of threatened species and ecological communities that are secure in the wild.
Securing Sustainable and Healthy Water
$369.6 million for initiatives through the Safe and Secure Water Program including $90.0 million in new funding to address the water supply, quality and safety risks for regional towns.
$131.5 million over three years from the Commonwealth Government to deliver water efficiency measures, including $124.0 million for Murrumbidgee Irrigation Limited to improve water delivery infrastructure.
$19.8 million to plan for the State’s water future through the NSW Water Strategy including an integrated set of initiatives that deliver the first Aboriginal Water Strategy for New South Wales.
Reference: NSW Budget 2022-23 | Latest NSW Budget