Obviously, given the election promises made earlier this year, the likes of Kevin Anderson, Kevin Humphries, Michael Johnsen and Adam Marshall will want to see their projects honoured and ticked off with actual funding.

Media speculation ahead of the Baird budget, orchestrated under treasurer Gladys Berejiklian, forecasts a record surplus of $2.1 billion, which will also carve out more than $1 billion in cuts and savings measures.

The prospect of a big surplus at a time when both the state and regional residents are being squeezed from federal slash-and-burn policies to health and education might not sit well with those who believe that, in the end, government has a duty to deliver services, not accumulate big surpluses at the expense of responsible social and economic policies.

Treasurer Berejiklian will reveal that record residential stamp duty receipts from a booming Sydney property market and payment of commonwealth grants will mean a $2.1 billion surplus for 2014-15.

This is $1.8 billion higher than the result forecast in December’s half-yearly budget update.

Despite this, the budget will also include deep cuts across the four years to 2018-19.

The NSW government has already announced it will impose a 1.5 per cent “efficiency dividend” across most departments for a saving of more than $593 million by 2017-18 to help pay for its election promises.

The budget papers will say savings of $1.1 billion will be made over the four years to 2018-19. 

They will come from “efficiency and savings measures, as well as policies to eliminate duplication in government operations and to reduce procurement costs”.

The budget will note that revenue growth will be “subdued” over the next four years at 2.8 per cent.

This is because of lower GST receipts, the loss of dividends from electricity network businesses after the Australian Energy Regulator’s decision to slash their revenue, and falling federal government payments.

The lower revenue growth will be matched with 2.8 per cent per year expenses growth between 2015-16 and 2018-19.

Despite that, in both the Tamworth and Northern Tablelands electorates, political eyes will be on some specific infrastructure funding and some big-ticket items.

They include the upgrade of Gunnedah hospital, the last of funding for Tamworth hospital, and allocated expenditure for both Inverell and Armidale hospitals.

The two Nationals MPs are also hoping for education and transport money, and more investment in roads and bridges, too.While regional residents will be keen to see just what comes out of tonight’s NSW budget, so will our local politicians.

Obviously, given the election promises made earlier this year, the likes of Kevin Anderson, Kevin Humphries, Michael Johnsen and Adam Marshall will want to see their projects honoured and ticked off with actual funding.

Media speculation ahead of the Baird budget, orchestrated under treasurer Gladys Berejiklian, forecasts a record surplus of $2.1 billion, which will also carve out more than $1 billion in cuts and savings measures.

The prospect of a big surplus at a time when both the state and regional residents are being squeezed from federal slash-and-burn policies to health and education might not sit well with those who believe that, in the end, government has a duty to deliver services, not accumulate big surpluses at the expense of responsible social and economic policies.

Treasurer Berejiklian will reveal that record residential stamp duty receipts from a booming Sydney property market and payment of commonwealth grants will mean a $2.1 billion surplus for 2014-15.

This is $1.8 billion higher than the result forecast in December’s half-yearly budget update.

Despite this, the budget will also include deep cuts across the four years to 2018-19.

The NSW government has already announced it will impose a 1.5 per cent “efficiency dividend” across most departments for a saving of more than $593 million by 2017-18 to help pay for its election promises.

The budget papers will say savings of $1.1 billion will be made over the four years to 2018-19. 

They will come from “efficiency and savings measures, as well as policies to eliminate duplication in government operations and to reduce procurement costs”.

The budget will note that revenue growth will be “subdued” over the next four years at 2.8 per cent.

This is because of lower GST receipts, the loss of dividends from electricity network businesses after the Australian Energy Regulator’s decision to slash their revenue, and falling federal government payments.

The lower revenue growth will be matched with 2.8 per cent per year expenses growth between 2015-16 and 2018-19.

Despite that, in both the Tamworth and Northern Tablelands electorates, political eyes will be on some specific infrastructure funding and some big-ticket items.

They include the upgrade of Gunnedah hospital, the last of funding for Tamworth hospital, and allocated expenditure for both Inverell and Armidale hospitals.

The two Nationals MPs are also hoping for education and transport money, and more investment in roads and bridges, too.