Funding to improve palliative care, transport, infrastructure and connectivity for Orange have topped local wish lists ahead of Tuesday’s state budget.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The government has already announced the budget will contain a range of funding initiatives including extra doctors and nurses, paying apprentices’ TAFE fees, lifting the payroll tax threshold to help businesses and providing drought assistance for farmers.
A $150 hamper for every new mother, cutting parking fines and reducing caravan and camper van registration costs by 40 per cent have also been foreshadowed.
However, providing about $2 million to fund a palliative care unit in Orange, has not been announced.
Push for Palliative Care Orange chair Jenny Hazelton said she had not heard any news on the plan which would see four rooms at Dudley Private Hospital become available for public and private patients.
“We are hoping its is included in the budget, it is a very important issue for Orange,” she said.
“We’ve done as much as we can.”
Member for Orange Phil Donato said the funding represented a “smidgen” of the government’s available funds and should be allocated.
“I would hope so, it’s not a lot of money in the scheme of things,” he said.
Mr Donato also wants to see drought assistance subsidies, improvements for road and rail, funding for the Southern Feeder Road and the Mount Canobolas mountain bike park, an upgrade to the Newell highway and payroll tax incentives to attract business to regional areas.
Mayor of Orange Reg Kidd called for funding for infrastructure, including road and rail.
He said improving connectivity, funding the palliative care push and waste management also deserved funding.
“It is the ideal time for the government to step up to mark and come up with a plan for recycling,” he said.
Western NSW Business Chamber regional manager Vicki Seccombe has welcomed a pre-budget announcement to lift the payroll tax threshold for businesses.
“It’s not just Sydney-centric,” she said.
“Regional NSW has a higher relative share of businesses just over the payroll tax threshold and these are ‘mum and dad’ businesses that shouldn’t be caught up in the complication of processing and remitting payroll tax.”
David Fitzsimons
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
