country labor dialogue - july 2010

8/7/2019 Country Labor Dialogue - July 2010

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COUNTRY LABOR DIALOGUE

C O N N E C T I N G C O U N T R Y C O M M U N I T I E S J U LY 2 0 1 0

Big win forcountry NSWNSWBUDGET2010

Rural and regional NSW were the big winners in the June State Budget.

The Keneally Government is

delivering record investments in

rural and regional communities,

said NSW Budget Country Labor

Convenor, Christine Robertson MLC.


investing $3.5 billion in rural and

regional roads thats more

than 70% of the total NSW roads

budget. This includes major fundingfor the Pacic, Princes, Hume and

Great Western Highways.

Rural and regional transport will

also receive a boost with $355

million in private bus services

for and $34.2 million to fund

CountryLink concession travel for

pensioners and students.

A record $4.4 billion will be

invested in country hospitalsfollows the Keneally Governments

historic agreement with the

Commonwealth on health reform.

There will be a $5.2 billion

investment in rural and regional

education, including $94 million

for major upgrades at 42 schools

and $55 million for upgrades

at 22 TAFE colleges.

Country broadband internetservices, countryhalls and small

community websites would receive

further funding of $3.14 million.

Community halls are at the centre

of our local towns and villages and

its great news that this program

will receive an additional $550,000

to help with the refurbishment and

upgrade of country halls.

In addition, there is a $10 million

boost in the 2010-11 Budget

for neighbourhood and other

community centres across NSW.

Other initiatives in rural and

regional NSW included:

$1.02 billion forAgeing,

Disability and Home care

support, up 9.3% on last year.

$972 million for EmergencyServices delivering more re

engines and other equipment.

More than $544 million in

water infrastructure including

$30.4 million to improve

sustainability in the Murray

Darling Basin.

$15 million for a courthouse

forArmidale and major capital

works at health facilities inTaree, Port Macquarie and

Queanbeyan.

An extra $61 million to continue

construction of the Cessnock

Correctional Centre and

$20 million towards the new

correctional facility at South

Nowra. Security upgrades will

also be delivered for Bathurst,

Lithgow, Grafton, Kariong,Berrima, Cooma, Broken

Hill, Ivanhoe, Tamworth and

St Heliers at Muswellbrook.

CountryLaborMPswelcomedtherecordinvestment inruralandregional NSWinthe recentStateBudget.


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Connectingrural communities

Premier KristinaKeneallyandMinisterfor PrimaryIndustries SteveWhan

are working tobring affordablebroadband internet torural NSW.

The Keneally Government

will invest $3.14 million to

bring broadband Internet

connections to isolated

rural communities, improve

country halls and help small

communities establish

websites.

This will help bridge thecommunication gap for families

in small communities by bringing

affordable broadband internet to

the heart of rural NSW, Minister

for Primary Industries, Steve

Whan said

Country halls are the traditional

centre of activity in local

communities and the Keneally

Government will continue toprovide much needed funding to

ensure they remained the hub of

small communities.

The Country Halls Renewal

Package will receive an allocation

of $550,000 to assist with

refurbishment and renovation of

country halls.

The Government will also

continue providing funds so

that more rural and remote

communities can promotethemselves to the world.

$90,000 has been provided

in the Budget for the Small

Communities Awareness Fund

to enable community groups

to cost-effectively market

themselves through a website.

Grants of up to $5000 will

be available to help small

communities to develop awebsite, showcasing their

attractions and tourist and

investment opportunities.


extending the popular Community

Building Partnership giving

community groups across NSW the

chance to apply for their share of a

further $35 million for local projects.1180 projects in every electorate

across NSW were funded under last

years partnership, including:

$18,883 to refurbish the Blue

Mountains Womens Health Centre

in Katoomba;

$5000 towards new tennis court

lighting at Lake Cathie Tennis Club,

Port Macquarie; and

$5000 to paint the hall and toiletsat Kiamas Country Womens

Associations branch.

Last year, the NSW Government invested

$1.15 million in 77 projects for the Scouts

Association, $114,000 on nine projects

for Girl Guides and $957,000 on 40

projects at PCYCs across NSW.

Under the 2010 NSW Community

Building Partnership, $300,000 will be

invested into local community projectsin each of the 93 NSW electoral

districts with a further $100,000

available to be invested in areas with

higher unemployment.

The partnership is open to community

groups, not-for-prot organisations,

non-government organisations and

local councils. Councils will be required

to make a co-contribution.

Submissions opened on 15 June andclose on 23 July. For more information

go towww.communitybuilding

partnership.nsw.gov.au

Building onCommunity

BuildingPartnershipsuccess


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The Keneally Government

will invest a record $16.4 billion

on health services in 2010-11.

This record spending follows the

Governments historic agreement

with the Commonwealth on health

reform. This new funding will see

the establishment of an additional

380 acute care beds and 105 sub-

acute beds in 2010-11.

Rural and regional initiatives

include:

$180.1 million further investment

in Orange Base Hospital;$4.6 million to complete

planning and start work on

the Tamworth Hospital

redevelopment and the

new cancer centre;

$5.1 million to nalise planning

and start the $90 million Stage

1 redevelopment ofWaggaWagga Base Hospital;

$35.9 million to expand NSW

Healths Multi Purpose Service

and Health One programs for

rural communities;

$200,000 to begin planning the

$22.7 million DubboHealth

Service Stage 1;

$11.1 million for projects on the

South Coast, including starting

planning for an elective surgery

unit at Wollongong Hospital,

renal dialysis expansion

at Shellharbour and the

Shoalhaven Regional Cancer

Centre at Nowra;

$24.8 million to redevelop

ambulance stations atCessnock and Murwillumbah

and complete Batemans

Bay, Byron Bay, Nelson Bay,

Coonamble and Murrurundi

as well as ambulance eet

replacement program; and

$5.1 million to expand

radiotherapy services including

an additional 33 specialty

staff to provide enhanced

consultative services atGosford, Lismore, Nowra,

Port Macquarie and

Wollongong.

The Keneally Government will

invest a record $4.7 billion to build

and maintain roads across NSW.

MAJOR PROJECTS INCLUDE:

$24 million to completeconstruction, funded by the

Federal Government, of the

Alstonville Bypass on the

Bruxner Highway;

$12 million to complete

construction of the third crossing

of the Hunter River at Maitland;

$6.7 million jointly funded with

the Federal Government to

complete improvements to

the Kings Highway betweenQueanbeyan and Bungendore;

$827 million invested in the

Pacic Highway upgrade

between Hexham and the

Queensland border;

$345 million to continue

duplication of the nal sections

of 2-lane Hume Highway

between Sydney and Melbourne;


construction, jointly

funded with the Federal

Government, of the Hunter

Expressway between the F3

at Seahampton and the New

England Highway at Branxton;


construction of the Oxley

Highway upgrade to 4 lanes

between Wrights Road and

the Pacic Highway at Port

Macquarie;

$18 million funded by the

Federal Government to start

construction of the realignment

of the Barton Highway at

Gounyan curves; and

$10 million for planning and

preconstruction of a new

bridge over the railway line at

Thornton.

$2.6 million funded by the

Federal Government to continue

construction of the Moree

Bypass on the Newell Highway.

Minister for Roads, David Borger,

said this was the biggest roadinvestment program in NSWs

history and an increase of $300

million on last years record budget.

Record investment for NSW roads

Massive boost for hospitals and healthcare

Morethan70%oftheroadsbudgetwill bespent in rural andregional NSWthisyear.


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Supporting youth andregional jobs

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TheNSW Government is ensuringyoung people willbe able

toundertakeapprenticeships and cadetshipsinrural andregionalareas.

The Keneally Government will invest $64 millionin jobs initiatives including the employment of 1000

new apprentices, 500 JumpStart cadets and supportto 80 Indigenous cadets.

$36 million will be dedicated

to 1000 apprenticeship

opportunities for school leavers.

The new apprentices are part

of the Keneally Governmentscommitment in 2009 to recruit

4000 new apprentices on public

sector projects and 2000 cadets

in the public service over 4 years.

An estimated $27 million will be

invested to employ 500 cadets

under the JumpStart public service

cadetship program. The cadetships

will be offered in a range of elds

including ofce administration,

customer service, assistants in

nursing, IT support and tourism.

Cadetships will be offered in

regional centres like Albury,

Dapto, Grifth and Young.

The Keneally Government will also

provide $200,000 to support the3-year action plan Making It Our

Business to improve Aboriginal

employment, and $900,000 for the

NSW Indigenous Tertiary Cadetship

Program which supports Aboriginal

students to combine university

study and employment.

The Budget also extended special

incentives to encourage qualied

people to take up work in rural

and remote areas.

The Keneally Government will

invest $828 million in justice

services across NSW and a

further $57.1 million in major

court upgrades including in

regional areas.

This Budget willensure that the bestperforming courts in

Australia continue tohave the best facilities,

Attorney General JohnHatzistergos said.

The Government will build a

$15 million justice courthouse

for Armidale to be completed

by early 2013.

THE RECORD BUDGETWILL ALSO FUND:

$2 million for stage 1 of

the $5 million renovation ofTaree Courthouse;

$1 million refurbishment of

Lismore Courthouse;

$1 million renovation of Port

Macquarie Courthouse;

new courthouse in Armidale;

$3.7 million for grafti

reduction strategies; and

$2.9 million for additional

Keep Them Safe Initiatives

including the appointmentof ve specialist Childrens

Registrars.

Investment in court

rehabilitation and diversion

programs will increase

by 13% as part of the

Governments determination

to keep crime rates low and

tackle the causes of crime.

Courthousesin record justiceinvestment

NEW

BUDGETWRAP

To see a wrap up of the

budget from Primary

Industries and Rural Affairs

Minister Steve Whan go to

www.nswalp.com/webcasts

country labor dialogue - july 2010

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