INFRASTRUCTURE spending was the buzzword of the NSW budget with billions allocated to major road and rail projects to “unclog crippling congestion”.
There is $16.5 billion for public transport and roads, including $590 million to bring forward plans for new infrastructure projects to be built when electricity assets are leased.
Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian’s first budget is in surplus by $2.1 billion with infrastructure spending in NSW over four years a record $68.6 billion.
“We are also delivering record services, whether it is in health, education, transport or family or community services, and each of these key areas has seen growth in their budgets from last year of more than five per cent,” Ms Berejiklian said.
HOW YOUR REGION FARED
***FOR a comprehensive breakdown of the big ticket items in this year’s budget, scroll further down the story.
North west
Commuter parking will be boosted at train stations in West Pennant Hills, Carlingford and Eastwood.
There’s $18.4 million to build and refurbish fire stations in places like Marsden Park.
A new school for Bella Vista is planned and Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE will get a hospitality training centre will provide essential upgrades to critical infrastructure and training facilities.
Minister for Emergency Services David Elliott said there’s $18.4 million to build new fire stations in places like Marsden Park where he’s allocated $1.7 million for work to begin and is due to be complete by 2018.
There’s $77.6 million to support infrastructure for new homes in the Hills Shire and $46 million towards new parks, streetscapes and roads to support communities in “Priority Precincts”.
NSW BUDGET 2015: $14.8M FOR DRUGS, ALCOHOL, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
The Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE is getting a new hospitality training centre.
Central Coast
There are upgrades to schools, hospitals, trains and roads for the Central Coast, with more than $124 million to upgrade and repair roads — including $69 million in upgrade works — with $7 million to complete work on the upgrade of the Central Coast Highway intersection with Brisbane Water Drive and Manns Road at West Gosford.
The Budget has $10 million to start construction of the Pacific Highway widening to four lanes between Ourimbah St, Lisarow and Glen Rd, Ourimbah and $10 million to begin construction of the upgrade of the intersection of Wyong Road with Enterprise Drive at Chittaway Bay.
There is $30 million to continue the Gosford Hospital redevelopment and $2.2 million to finish building a Renal Dialysis Centre at Long Jetty.
Early plans for the Pacific Highway upgrade.
Point Clare Public School upgrades will continue and Erina High School will receive a new bus bay and turning circle.
New Intercity trains are on the cards with $94 million to start the process of buying new trains to run in Newcastle, the Central Coast, Blue Mountains and Illawarra.
South
The Sutherland Hospital expansion will get $32.2 million and there’s $25 million for the St George Hospital redevelopment.
Roads in St George and Sutherland Shire will get $71 million for upgrades and repairs, including $7.5 million for planning a motorway link between M1 Princes Motorway at Waterfall and the Sydney Motorway Network.
WestConnex enabling works, west of Sydney Airport, have $9 million to start construction and widening of Marsh St.
Cairnsfoot School relocation gets $12.54 million and projects at Loftus Public School, Woolooware High School and Cronulla High School will have funding to continue.
Train station accessibility upgrades at Jannali, Oatley and Narwee, as well as new commuter parking at Engadine are funded in the budget.
Gladys Berejiklian and former Campbelltown Liberal MP Bryan Doyle with Campbelltown Mayor Paul Lake after announcing the increased funding for parking at the busy station.
South west Commuter parking will be boosted at train stations in Campbelltown and Ashfield plus $32 million to continue upgrading commuter wharves, including at Rhodes and Cabarita.
Minister for Emergency Services David Elliott said Fire and Rescue NSW would receive almost $700 million, plus capital funding with $18.4 million to build and refurbish fire stations in places such as Oran Park.
The South Western Sydney TAFE will get a specialist engineering industry standard facility with flexible workshops to meet “changing demand”.
North
$275 million is budgeted to continue delivering the NorthConnex project which fills in the missing link between the M1 and M2. There’s $51 million for enabling road works and land acquisitions for the new twin tunnel motorway.
There will be more commuter parking at the train station in Hornsby,
City/ East
There’s $120 million in this year’s budget for construction of the Sydney Light Rail and $43 million to modernise Wynyard Station.
$180 million is allocated for easing Sydney’s congestion, including more clear ways and fixing traffic pinch points.
A new underground railway station at Barangaroo will be added to the Sydney Metro line, with $84 million in the budget to help further planning of the metro rail project.
An artists impression of the Sydney Light Rail at the University of New South Wales. Photo courtesy of the NSW Depart of Transport and Infrastructure
Mr Baird said the addition of a Sydney Metro station is a “game-changer” for Barangaroo and will reduce crowding at Wynyard and Martin Place stations by about 5,000 people in the morning peak alone.
The new station, expected to be located at Central Barangaroo
Nearly $13 million of capital investment will be made in Centennial Parklands for upgrading park facilities, including completion of Robertson Rd Synthetic Fields and improvements at E.S. Marks Athletics Field.
West
There is $684 million to upgrade and repair roads in Western Sydney, a new school in Parramatta and plans for a Western Sydney Sport and Community Centre in Penrith.
NSW Premier Mike Baird said western Sydney has been a major funding focus for the government.
“In 20 years, every second Sydneysider will live in Greater Western Sydney. It is the engine room of our state and this budget is further proof that the Liberals and Nationals Government backs western Sydney and its future,” Mr Baird said.
Old Kings School at Parramatta will be turned into a school.
There is $15 million to continue planning for a new Smart Motorway System for the M4, $19 million to progress planning for Western Sydney Light Rail in Parramatta and $37 million for major upgrades on the T1 Western Line to increase train reliability and capacity.
There are also new lifts for train stations including Harris Park, Toongabbie, Berala and Homebush with money to build more commuter car parking at Penrith, Pendle Hill and Merrylands.
The Old Kings School site in Parramatta will be redeveloped into a new school.
Minister for Emergency Services David Elliott said there’s $18.4 million to build new fire stations in places like Mt Druitt where he allocated $200,000 to start planning for a $3 million station which is due to be finished in 2017.
$72.1 million is being put toward the Westmead Hospital redevelopment (including Stage 1B and the car park).
$30 million for the next stage of the Blacktown Mount Druitt Hospital redevelopment.
$12 million over three years to assist with the development of the Western Sydney Sport and Community Centre in Penrith, including $8 million in 2015-16.
BIG WINNERS OF THE BUDGET
Public Transport and roads are a big focus of new spending.
“Whether it is busting congestion or providing brand new Metro train lines to reduce crowding on our public transport, these projects are really going to make a difference,” NSW Premier Mike Baird said.
There is a $2 billion increase in funding for roads maritime and freight compared to last year’s budget with $4.1 billion of that allocated for Regional NSW, $1.7 billion for the Westconnex motorway and $180 million towards easing city congestion.
Roads Minister Duncan Gay said they were spending $1.5 billion this year alone to repair and maintain existing road and maritime assets.
“Immediate and targeted fixes will continue at key bottlenecks right across the state with $180 million to help ease Sydney’s congestion, including the delivery of additional clear ways and fixing notorious traffic pinch points and planning to develop the next package of works, ”Mr Gay said.
There is $890 million over the next four years for train station upgrades and commuter car parks. Rail maintenance is allocated $1.2 billion and $74 million for a rail operations centre to manage delays.
NSW Schools will get $12.4 billion with planning work for major new school projects in the Inner City and Ballina, Arthur Phillip High School and Parramatta Public School.
Education minister Adrian Piccoli said a new $167 million package for counselling and wellbeing support in public schools would add 236 school counsellors.
TAFE NSW funding is increased by $122 million compared to last year’s budget.
There’s a boost for preschools with the early childhood budget increasing by $85 million, up 32 per cent on last year.
The total health budget is up 5.2 per cent on last year to $21 Billion with new spending on upgrades to hospitals in regional areas and western Sydney, Health Minister Jillian Skinner said.
“We will invest in innovative programs and new technologies to ensure our patients receive the right care at the right time in the right place, be that in the city or the bush, in hospital or at home,” she said.
Medical Research will get an extra $159 million over four years including $9 million over the next four years for medical cannabis trials for children with severe epilepsy, terminally ill adults and chemotherapy patients suffering from nausea and vomiting.
“Medical research unlocks new treatments for disease, offers hope, delivers cures, keeps people well and out of hospital, and at its best, profoundly improves lives,” Minister for Medical research Pru Goward said.
There will be more police including 24 domestic violence specialist police officers and $100 million over four years to give new technology to police officers.
The NDIS will roll out a year ahead of schedule in the Nepean and Blue Mountains and there’s $3.3 billion for people with a disability in the budget, minister for Ageing, Disability Services and Multiculturalism John Ajaka said.
“Delivering on the longstanding commitment to move people with disability out of large institutional style accommodation and into new, smaller, more appropriate accommodation is a priority for the Government,” Mr Ajaka said.
There is an extra $400 million for the Housing Acceleration Fund to go directly to building infrastructure needed in growth areas too.
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