The Orange electorate has received $22 million less from the state government than its neighbours since the Coalition won the 2015 election, with MP Phil Donato labelling it punishment for voting against the Nationals.
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Data compiled by Orange City Council revealed the electorate had received $170.8 million, compared to $192.8 million for Bathurst and a whopping $498.8 million for Dubbo.
The biggest-ticket items for Dubbo were $188 million to upgrade Wellington jail, $140 million for the Newell Highway bridge and $24 million for Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
Prison upgrades also accounted for $110 million of Bathurst’s haul, with another $10 million to upgrade Portland’s waste water systems.
The Guanna Hill upgrade ($43 million) and two pipelines to Carcoar and Molong ($38 million) were Orange’s most lucrative.
Mr Donato said Bathurst and Dubbo had been subjected to pork-barrelling.
“They’ve realised they can’t take for granted that they’ll retain those seats,” he said.
“We’re all taxpayers and there’s no reason why funding shouldn’t be proportionate to that.”
Asked if the funding was a reflection of his own performance since the byelection, Mr Donato said representation was also part of the job and his lobbying for farming freight subsidies had broader impact than just Orange.
Mayor Reg Kidd said the closer a member was to cabinet, the higher the chances for funding, but Orange was not being punished.
“Most people won’t take that,” he said.
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