Health Research Receives Major Funding Boost

BY TIM MOORE

Newcastle's NSW Regional Health Partners will receive part of the federal government's $218 million investment into translational health research.

The money will be provided over the next ten years in order to guarantee long-term and sustainable impact from the important program.

Director of NSW Regional Health Partners, Professor Christine Jorm, said the research centre ensures that patients receive the benefits of biomedical research as efficiently as possible.

"Without [translational health]... research funding that supports our centre, those discoveries don't impact the lives of patients as soon as they should and not as strong as they could," she said.

Research is currently underway into child obesity reduction, immunisation rates and stroke treatment in rural areas.

Professor Jorm said the funding will go particularly towards fulfilling a need in palliative care research.

"In the coming year, we're doing a large set of work around end of life and palliative care, which are major areas of concern for the community and for commissions, where we haven't had the conversations we need to have yet about how we do those things," she said.

The Hunter-based centre is also looking to improve health services in regional Australia and will receive significant benefit from the ten-year funding scheme.

The Hunter Reacts to the Federal Budget

BY MADELAINE MCNEILL AND JARROD MELMETH

The Hunter Business Chamber has welcomed the Federal Governments $1.6 billion dollar allocation to the M1 extension to Raymond Terrace, praising it as a booster for regional economic growth.

The long-awaited road project is the Hunter's big-ticket item in the budget which also promised a number of other local road upgrades, research into PFAS management and tax cuts for low to middle-income earners.

Chamber CEO Bob Hawes said from a business point of view, the budget was largely positive.

"There were a number of measures in there targeted at small business and we're very pleased that the government has listened to pleas from business groups including the Hunter Business Chamber and the NSW Business Chamber to see fit to introduce those," he said.

Mr Hawes also noted the budget included a number of things the Chamber had set out in a pre-budget wishlist yesterday.

"They included the tax breaks on the asset write-offs, extra funding to help business break into export markets and also increased those incentives for businesses taking on apprentices," said Mr Hawes.

"We think each of those measures will have a positive impact in this region."

Of course, as with any political announcement, not everyone was pleased.

Local charity Samaritans this morning expressed disappointment with the government's lack of assistance for vulnerable citizens.

The organisation renewed calls ahead of the budget for the government to strengthen income safety nets for Newstart and Youth Allowance, review Rental Assistance and to address the significant shortfall in social and affordable housing.

The government has since revealed it will extend a $75 relief payment for electricity bills to those on Newstart, who were originally excluded from the sweetener.

Samaritans CEO Brad Webb said there were some welcome commitments made in the budget, but there is more work to be done.

"The budget brought some welcome news for mental health and domestic violence services, as well as a commitment to funding the Disability Royal Commission, however, the budget has completely overlooked the desperate need for investment in social and affordable housing,” Mr Webb said.

"We expected to get an election-focused budget, and that's what we got."

Brad Webb said he will be watching the oppositions budget reply to indicate Labor's policy priorities.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten is expected to give his reply to the budget tomorrow morning.

EARLIER: Major Hunter Project Wins Funding In Federal Budget

Hunter Business Chamber Outlines Budget Hopes

BY CATHERINE ALLEN

The eagerly awaited upcoming federal budget is due to be released tonight at 7pm, potentially making waves for the local region.

The latest budget is expected to include increases to infrastructure spending as well as tax cuts for big business in what is touted to be a "family friendly" budget.

The Hunter Business Chamber is pushing for regulatory changes benefiting small-to-medium sized businesses hoping to build on current export markets and create extra incentive payments for apprentice and trainee positions.

CEO Bob Hawes said that while aid for families is important; if people don't have a job the rest falls apart.

"There's a lot of things that the federal government can look at that impact all business and we've already put a few ideas forward and backed up the NSW business chamber on ideas around extending export grants, subsidies that they've had in place in recent years," he said.

"In relation to the Hunter, obviously we like to keep track of what's happening in Defence, that has an enormous impact in relation to what's happening at Williamstown and to a lesser extent Singleton, but also Health and Education."

Image: SBS