The current Federal Government has pumped more than $300 million into the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area with $46.4million for Narrandera alone on extra programs and projects and according to Member for Farrer Sussan Ley last week’s budget shows there is more to come.

“As well as the promised cost-of-living measures and fuel excise cut, there’s the NBN wireless towers speed and capacity upgrade – with more money also committed to add new mobile phone coverage and cut some increasing congestion on local phone towers,” she said.

“What we are calling the Regional Accelerator Program will pump extra support into existing regional development programs, steps which have been so important in keeping our economy ticking over during the COVID shutdowns.”

Ms Ley said it was also important to note funding to the state’s health systems and hospitals continues to go up and the reforms the current Government has committed to the Murray Darling Basin, including compliance and water trading, are fully funded.

“All up, I think this is current Budget recognises it’s been a tough couple of years, that it’s still tough for many, but here’s the way forward for both our region and the country.”

Last week’s budget allocates:

• $20m for Griffith, Leeton, Narrandera, Murrumbidgee and Carrathool for Round 3 of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program (Narrandera $3.8m over three rounds).
• $3.2 million over two years from 2022-23 to improve water compliance
• $2.1 million in 2022-23 to deliver the water market reform roadmap to improve governance and integrity of Basin water markets
• $4.9m for upgrades and passing lanes on our part of the Newell Highway from Narrandera to Tocumwal
• $480 million boost for the NBN Fixed Wireless network improve coverage and speeds to 14,000 homes and businesses in Farrer (inc 4,499 in M.I.A) – towers include Narrandera Reservoir, Yanco, Leeton and Leeton North, Corbie Hill, Yenda and Yenda North, Barellan and Coleambally.
• Expanding the Home Guarantee Scheme to 50,000 places each year.10,000 will go exclusively to home buyers in regional Australia
• $365.3 million boost to the Wage Subsidy Program for future tradies, plumbers, tilers, chefs and skilled workers to help get an extra 35,000 trade apprentices and trainees into training.
• Third Round of the Regional Airports Program – providing $29 million in funding for upgrades to regional airports and aerodromes
• $4 million to increase access to medical specialists for patients encourage more specialists to undertake training in regional areas.
• $708 million to continue the Specialist Training Program (STP) for another four years
• $14.8 million over four years to deliver placements across the country from the Charles Sturt University Rural Clinical School
• $1.9m funding for country sporting events to bounce back after the impacts of the pandemic.

Under the Roads to Recovery Program the Federal Government has allocated funding to:

• Narrandera Shire Council $5,984,177
• Carrathool Shire Council $10,196,977
• Griffith City Council $5,153,207
• Leeton Shire Council $3,938,329
• Murrumbidgee Council $6,048,127

In Federal Assistance Grants the following local government councils will benefit: Narrandera Shire Council $5,311,569, Carrathool Shire Council $6,784,551, Griffith City Council $6,110,638, Leeton Shire Council $4,856,668 and Murrumbidgee Council $5,042,745.

This article appeared in the Narrandera Argus, 7 April 2022.