Mayor Cr Reg Kidd said while there were no new announcements directly for Orange there were opportunities for the city to claim a portion of general funding confirmed.

Local government minister Shelley Hancock said about $200 million would be provided to help out councils.

That includes $78 million to help councils provide discounts on rates for pensioners, $57 million to help councils pay for their 2021 elections with likely COVID restrictions and $4 million toward providing low cost loans for social housing.

Cr Kidd said Orange City Council would pursue that money. "$78 million to help pensioners on rates, we'll certainly be going for that," he said.

Cr Kidd said the council had applied to the government for money for the Southern Feeder Road and to complete the cost of building a Conservatorium of Music and Planetarium in Orange, but not all specific projects' funding was announced in the budget. He said they might be announced later in the year. "We haven't seen the details of it," he said.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro announced funding for Orange in a statement covering the regional highlights of the budget.

However they related to part payments for projects already announced or underway. They included $2.5 million toward the $25 million Orange Sports Complex, upgrades and refurbishments for Bletchington and Millthorpe public schools, $7.6 million to complete the $19.9 million government offices hub, $2 million toward duplicating the Orange stormwater harvesting scheme and $2 million toward a pipeline from Spring Creek Dam to the Icely Road water treatment plant.

Orange residents will also indirectly benefit from funding for roadworks in the Blue Mountains and near Kelso and for rail projects at Dubbo and on the main western line.

Business NSW Western NSW regional manager Vicki Seccombe said Central West businesses were also set to benefit from payroll tax cuts. "Not only has the payroll tax threshold been extended from $1 million to $1.2 million, but the rate at which companies pay this tax will decrease to 4.85 per cent from 5.45 per cent for the next two years," she said.

"This will provide a huge incentive for employers right across NSW to take on additional staff immediately. Business NSW will be urging business owners to take advantage of this new operating environment.

"Pleasingly, small businesses who don't currently pay payroll tax haven't been forgotten. They will be provided with a $1500 digital voucher to offset Government fees and charges which will give them more money to invest in their own business."