From extra investment in apprentices to more money for bulkbilling GPs, the Commonwealth budget has been welcomed by Tamworth's leaders as a win for the region.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Business Chamber President Stephanie Cameron said it could almost be too much of a good thing.
The Commonwealth will expand a $2000 travel rebate for workers who travel to work in the agriculture industry.
It's a program designed to replace the thousands of overseas workers who would ordinarily work in Australia's agriculture industry, Ms Cameron said.
READ MORE:
"Considering that skilled migration's off the table until next year, I think that's a really important grant for getting people into jobs in the regions," she said.
But the "jobs budget" could exacerbate a local housing shortage, she said.
"Well, it's going to be great news for people who have investment houses. Probably do good things for real estate agents in the sense that there are people looking for houses," she said.
"But have they got them available? We're in a reasonably tight rental market as it is. Is there enough supply to meet the potential demand? The government are almost being a catalyst for increasing demand."
Ms Cameron said the city needed to prepare itself for a high-rise future as developers move in to clear the housing shortfall.
Gunnedah Mayor Jamie Chaffey said council would take advantage of extra funding for grant programs, like the $250 million in additional money for the Building Better Regions program, to fund a number of local infrastructure projects.
He pointed to the town's cultural masterplan precinct and upgrades to the airport to get commercial flights back into Gunnedah, as two projects the council would be looking to fund.
In a win for local health services, bulkbilling rates in Gunnedah are set to increase to about $55 compared with $38.75 in the cities.
Cr Chaffey said the change was a welcome change, but not an enormous one, and that the government should have slashed bulkbilling in the cities as an extra incentive for doctors to relocate.
"It's not insignificant, but by not reducing down the Medicare levy rebate in the metropolitan areas it's only gone so far," he said.
"It's definitely welcome and that will encourage the doctors already here and practicing to remain doing so. And also those young people who are currently in training who haven't made their mind up whether they're going to go into the bush or the city, this will certainly be another positive. But is it enough to see a groundswell of medical professionals from metropolitan area go to the bush? I doubt that."
Business NSW Regional Manager Joe Townsend said the budget hadn't funded many local infrastructure projects "which is a bit disappointing", though he too was otherwise full of praise for the plan.
"For us in the region the flow on effect is the larger projects and announcements the government made. There's not anything specific for our region which is always a little disappointing, but we'll see those flow on effects come through from those tax cuts [and other initiatives]," he said.
"The only key missing link at the moment, and it's something I hope to raise with Infrastructure Australia and the state government when they come to do their budget, is the east west links, particularly after we've had flooding. So the Oxley Highway. I would have we could have seen more funding that way."
Member for New England Barnaby Joyce said the budget would mean "continued investment" into the region.
He pointed in particular to a tax cut worth about $1080 for middle-income earners.
"You get that at the end of the year when you do your tax return. That's a handy little pickup. If you dropped it at the pub on a Friday night you'd bend it down and pick it up," he said.
"We want to make sure we get into these home care packages. Age care has been a big issue in the New England, especially in Quirindi; where quite possibly they could have shut down the age care facility. Eighty thousand new home care packages is going to be really important in making sure people can live their whole lives in an area and not be taken away from their families."
Tamworth mayor Col Murray said his biggest concern was the enormous debt burden left behind by the $161 billion in borrowing this year needed to keep the lights on during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark northerndailyleader.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News