Member for Cootamundra, Katrina Hodgkinson believes the NSW Government delivered a Budget on Tuesday which provides record investments for health, education, Family and Community Services and continues spending to employ more teachers, nurses and police.
The 2016-17 NSW Budget also forecasts record infrastructure investment of $73.3 billion over the next four years.
“The Government has shown discipline and economic competence to turn the state around, providing a Budget that will make a positive difference to the lives of the people in the Cootamundra electorate,” Katrina said.
“This year’s Budget reported a surplus of $3.4 billion in 2015-16 and forecasts an even higher one in 2016-17.
“The NSW Government has met its election commitment to create 150,000 jobs in this term in just 13 months, with 154,000 jobs created since April 2015.
“The 2016-17 Budget delivers record investments in key services including a record $21 billion investment in health services, a record $13.3 billion on school education services, and a record $8.1 billion to ensure community safety,” she said.
Infrastructure projects and services funded in the 2016-17 Budget in the Cootamundra electorate include:
- $1.6 million for work in progress for the Bethungra Dam Stabilisation;
- $7.1 million for the continued construction of new facilities at Young TAFE;
- $1.61 million for social housing upgrades across the electorate;
- $14.8 million for rail and branch line upgrades;
- $10.9 million for rail line maintenance;
- More than $2 million for community transport services;
- $41 million for roads, including State Black Spot Funding and general paving maintenance;
- $14.1 million to continue work on the $70 million upgrade to Gocup Road between Gundagai and Tumut;
- and funding for ambulance station upgrades at Ardlethan, Coolamon and Harden, part of a $14.6 million allocation in 2016-17 for Rural Ambulance Infrastructure Reconfiguration.
“The Government has turned NSW around from having the slowest economic growth of the major states to having the strongest economy in the country,” Katrina said.
“We have taken NSW from having the lowest jobs growth of mainland states to having the lowest unemployment.”
