NSW Budget Delivers For Public Servants, Omits Hunter Park Proposal

BY OLIVIA DILLON

There's concerns the Hunter is not reaping the rewards of it's major representation in NSW Cabinet, following the release of the state government's budget today.

The Newcastle Herald reports Sydney is mentioned 22 times in the overview of Labor's first budget in 13 years, but Newcastle and the Hunter are not mentioned once.

It's also understood no major funding has been committed for the major redevelopment being planned for Broadmeadow.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said during a media conference in Sydney today, planning for the Hunter Park project is ongoing, and confirmed the scandal surrounding former Minister for the Hunter Tim Crakanthorp, has not affected the government's commitment to it. 

Meantime, it seems public servants in the Hunter are the big winners of the budget, with funding confirmed for their wage increases.

The Minns government has set aside $3.6 billion to fund pay rises for nurses, paramedics, teachers, prison officers, police, and childcare workers, and will spend $572 million on making more than 1,000 pandemic nurses and midwives permanent.

It's expected the budget will spark backlash from the Opposition, with a number of Coalition-led initiatives being either scrapped or cut back, including the Active and Creative Kids Vouchers, which will be lowered, and the Regional Senior's Travel Card, which will be dumped. 

 

Image: NSW Government

 

Government Saves Medicare Bulk Billing

BY DANEIE GEDDES

In last nights budget, the Federal Government finally delivered long-awaited Medicare funding to maintain and improve access to bulk billing.

The Government tripled the Medicare Bulk Billing incentive from $6.60 to $19.80.

Last year, GPs across the Hunter began ceasing bulk billing due to the under funding of Medicare. 

Healthcare providers in the Hunter have been calling for an increase after the latest Clean Bill report revealed the Hunter had some of the worst bulk billing rates in NSW.

Vice President of the Doctors Reform Society Dr Robert Marr said the move has saved affordable access to healthcare in the Hunter. 

"The saving of Medicare bulk billing will reduce unnecessary suffering and even deaths that would have occurred if patients could not afford to go to the doctor," Dr Marr said.  

"So many patients will be relieved at the change, as for months they have been chasing a bulk billing clinic they can afford, where they can get consistent care from a doctor they have known for years," he said. 

Last month in Newcastle, of the 45 GP clinics across the city, none offered bulk billing.

The increase is a major advance for healthcare in the Hunter and will support free and consistent GP visits, reducing financial stress for Hunter residents. 

"The long term changes will take years to have benefits but there is pleasingly a lot of good ideas the Government is working through with a clear reformist agenda," Dr Marr said. 

The Doctors Reform Society is welcoming the Government's efforts to provide more funding to improve access to affordable GP visits across the Hunter. 

Hunter Housing Providers Call for More Investment into Rent Assistance and Dwellings Ahead of Federal Budget Release

BY OLIVIA DILLON

A Hunter-based community housing provider is calling on the Federal Government to make a serious commitment to end the housing crisis felt across the Hunter and Australia when it delivers it's budget tonight. 

Recent data out of Communities and Justice NSW indicates the expected wait time for a one bedroom studio in Newcastle is between two and five years. 

Two, three, and four bedroom properties have a wait list between five and ten years. 

As of June last year, there were more than 1,700 applicants on the waitlist for social housing in Newcastle, with 111 in high need of a home. 

Home in Place Executive Manager of Business and Public Affairs, Martin Kennedy, said they're hoping to see a commitment made to increase rent assistance, in a bid to ease pressure on the private rental market, and in turn, the social housing sector. 

"You can't allow something as fundamental as secure housing to be something that only well-off people can afford. Having that sort of arrangement is completely corrosive to society and to the economy, and that's the direction we're headed in," he said. 

"It's incredibly important that we put this right." 

The organisation is also hoping the budget will include a boost to the Housing Australia Future Fund. 

Mr Kennedy said it's obvious more houses need to be built in order to cater for a growing number of struggling Hunter residents. 

"The current level of 30,000 dwellings is better than nothing, but it would be good to see it increased."