19 June 2024
Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke says while there is some good news coming out of the NSW State Budget for the electorate, government investment in the region falls well short of what is needed.
“From an electorate point of view, I think it would be fair to describe this year’s State Budget as very much hit and miss; there are certainly hits for our electorate including investment in healthcare workers at the new Cowra Hospital, and additional funding for the Temora Hospital redevelopment,” Ms Cooke said.
“I have worked hard over the past 12 months to meet with ministers and lobby on behalf of local residents, to secure the funding that has today been spared the Treasurer’s chopping block,” she said.
2024-25 Budget allocations for the Cootamundra electorate include:
A share in $274 million for healthcare workers at the new Cowra Hospital;
$45 million towards the Coalition-announced Cowra Hospital redevelopment;
$5.5 million towards the Coalition-announced Temora Hospital redevelopment;
$125,000 towards 5 school crossing supervisors;
$2.8 million towards continued planning for the upgrade of the Sheahan Bridge;
$5.1 million towards an Aboriginal housing package;
$3.1 million towards social housing;
$2.5 million towards teacher housing; and
A share in $73 million to establish a Keeping Place at the former children’s home at Cootamundra to support reconciliation with Stolen Generation survivors.
“Concerningly, despite previously announcing the delivery of a new preschool for Boorowa, there has been no money allocated to this project in the next financial year, further delaying this much needed infrastructure which is very disappointing,” Ms Cooke said.
“There’s no new funding commitments for major road projects in the electorate, and there are certainly missed opportunities for crucial infrastructure spending on visionary projects like raising the Wyangala Dam wall, along with small-scale infrastructure projects like sporting facilities and community halls, that we know our communities need.
“Where’s the funding for the water projects we know we need in our area? Where’s the money for drought-proofing measures? We shouldn’t have to wait until farmers are forced to cull their livestock before the government takes action to mitigate the impact of drier conditions that will inevitably happen.
“The need for investment in police infrastructure for Young, Cowra, and Narrandera has been overlooked this time around, but I will never stop fighting for these projects, especially given we’re still in the middle of a parliamentary inquiry into crime in the regions.
“Not only have we seen investment opportunities overlooked, the government seems to have reheated previous spending announcements in their Budget papers, to improve what is overall a terrible budget – not just for the Cootamundra electorate, but indeed across all rural and regional NSW.
“The Coalition had such a strong track record in investing in our rural and regional communities, and the last thing we want to see is for that hard-fought growth and progress in the regions, to stagnate under the Minns Labor Government,” she said.
Ms Cooke said the government announced that the Budget will remain in the red over the next four years, with a $3.6 billion deficit forecast for the 2024-25 financial year.
“The government is crying poor, but we can’t afford to neglect the regions; regional NSW is the engine room of the state’s economy, so the last thing we want is to lose the momentum created by the previous Coalition Government,” Ms Cooke said.
“You can only blame financial woes on the Commonwealth and previous State Governments for so long – at some point the Minns Labor Government must take responsibility for the decisions it’s making,” she said.
