Farrer Budget 2022 summary

By Laura Green

Apr 1, 2022

Member for Farrer Sussan Ley. Photo by Cath Grey

The 2022/23 Budget features a few heavy hitters for the electorate of Farrer, including millions of dollars for water delivery and reform, and hundreds of millions to boosting infrastructure nationwide, including highways, bridges and telecommunications.

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But the Coalition Government released its 2022/23 Budget this week to largely critical reception on Monday night, when treasurer Josh Frydenberg gave a speech full of theatrical language.

The budget is largely believed to be riddled with apparent ‘band-aid fixes’.

The federal election must be held before May, and the budget was a key bid to win voter favour.

Member for Farrer Sussan Ley however, intimated the budget is in step with the nation’s needs.

“All up, I think this is a budget which recognises it’s been a tough couple of years, that it’s still tough for many, but here’s the way forward for both our region and the country,” she said.

“As well as the promised cost-of-living measures and fuel excise cut, there’s the NBN wireless towers speed and capacity upgrade – with more money also committed to add new mobile phone coverage and cut some increasing congestion on local phone towers,” said Ms Ley.

The Commonwealth has allocated $480 million to fixing the region’s access to the (NBN) National Broadband Network, a result of the Regional Telecommunications Review, and a key concern in the Southern Riverina.

“What we are calling the Regional Accelerator Program will pump extra support into existing regional development programs, steps which have been so important in keeping our economy ticking over during the COVID shutdowns.”

$750 million of the $7 billion dollar plan is expected to go to NSW.

“It is also important to note funding to the state’s health systems and hospitals continues to go up, and the reforms we’ve committed to the Murray Darling Basin, including compliance and water trading, are fully funded here.”

The Federal Government contributed $1.4 million - complementing $3.2 million from the state government - to upgrade Deniliquin Hospital’s emergency department in 2019, however a large sector of the community had been calling for a new hospital as the current building ages.

Below is a summary of the items Ms Ley says will provide benefit to electorate.

Region-specific items:

$35.1 million over three years from 2021-22 to better deliver environmental water to high value ecosystems in the Edward-Wakool region - recently awarded to Murray Irrigation Ltd.

$3.2 million over two years from 2022-23 to improve water compliance.

$2.1 million in 2022-23 to deliver the water market reform roadmap to improve governance and integrity of Basin water markets.

$60m Echuca to Robinvale Corridor, including planning for new Swan Hill Bridge crossing to Murray Downs.

$4.9m for upgrades on our part of the Newell Highway from Tocumwal to Narrandera.

$480 million boost for the NBN Fixed Wireless network improve coverage and speeds to 14,000 homes and businesses in Farrer (2,421 in Mid Murray); announced March 25, 2022.
$59m for Farrer on the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program over two years (inc $3.7m for Edward River and $3.4m for Berrigan Shire).

Items for regional Australia:

Expanding the Home Guarantee Scheme to 50,000 places each year.10,000 places will go exclusively to home buyers in regional Australia.

$365.3 million boost to the Wage Subsidy Program for future tradies, plumbers, tilers, chefs and skilled workers to help get an extra 35,000 trade apprentices and trainees into training.