BY EL FITCHETT AND RILEY TAYLOR
The State Treasurer Dominic Perrottet is set to hand down the 2020-21 NSW Budget tomorrow, and the Hunter's local MPs are hoping for a big investment in the region.
Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Learning and Charlestown MP Jodie Harrison is hoping tomorrow's State Budget could bring long-awaited changes to her electorate.
She hopes to see investment to help reduce overcrowding in local schools, as well as improvements to traffic flow, safety and accessibility on Hillsborough Road at Warners Bay.
With over 400,00 children enrolled across 5,500 early childhood education services in NSW including more than 750 pre-schools, she is also urging the State Government to make preschool free for a further 18 months to boost workforce participation and kickstart the state's economic recovery.
Closing the workforce participation gap could boost Gross Domestic Product by $60 billion over 20 years.
"In the long-term, there's nothing more important than giving every child in NSW access to quality education. In this recession, with lots of families doing it tough financially, we want to make sure no children miss out," Jodi Harrison said.
Meanwhile, Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp believes there are a number of shovel-ready projects across the city which are ripe for funding.
He's calling for investment in the redevelopment of the Newcastle Art Gallery and the restoration of the Victoria Theatre.
"The budget is an opportunity to progress some long-announced projects so we can get boots on the ground sooner rather than later," Tim Crakanthorp said.
He's also looking for funding towards the Hunter Sports and Entertainment Precinct, Newcastle Education Precinct, and the redevelopment of John Hunter Hospital.
"In the midst of a global pandemic, fast-tracking the expansion and redevelopment of the John Hunter Hospital, one the state's busiest, is a no brainer," he said.
Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery is pushing for a funding commitment
to infrastructure projects to create local jobs and boost post-Covid economic recovery
in the region.
“There’s nothing better to create jobs than rebuilding a
canal in Wallsend, and building the Glendale Interchange,” Sonia Hornery said.
The canal would provide a vital flood mitigation system in
the low-lying area, which she says is essential to keeping Wallsend residents and
their homes safe.
Sonia Hornery also wants to see the Government employ more public
sector workers including teachers, police, and nurses and staff at the John
Hunter Hospital.
She’s also backed calls for more affordable and social housing programs, along with Newcastle MP Tim Crackanthorp.
"While a serious commitment to social housing will provide numerous trades ongoing work, you can't put a dollar value on what it means to give someone the safety and stability of home, and the opportunity to thrive," Tim Crakanthorp said.
Compass Housing, a Hunter-based community housing provider,
has lobbied for a major investment in the sector to tackle the shortage of
housing options for homeless and low-income people in the region.
Compass’ Managing Director Greg Budworth believes while the New
South Wales Government has been focusing on homelessness, and social and
affordable housing, more is needed.
“Sometimes the Government has a will to invest in affordable housing, but they don’t have the money. But we’d like to see more done,” Mr Budworth said.
