The 2017 NSW Budget, announced on Tuesday, June 20, showed how little the Berejiklian Government cared about the electorate of Gosford, according to Member for Gosford, Ms Liesl Tesch.
While the NSW Treasurer lauded the government’s increased surplus announced in the budget, Ms Tesch said the money should have been working for the community, not sitting in the government’s coffers in Sydney.
Ms Tesch said that the Budget showed the Liberal Government’s true priorities.
“Despite a $4.5b surplus, made off the back of massive privatisations and sell offs, Sydney was the winner in the budget, while the regions suffered.
“The Gosford electorate needed vital investment, but there was just no major new money coming into the region from the budget,” she said.
“The Liberals were happy to have a cash splash during the by-election, but now that the real work has to be done to invest in the Central Coast, they are nowhere to be seen.”
Ms Tesch said the Treasurer showed he lacked any appreciation for life in regional communities by boasting about record low unemployment figures.
“The government has set aside another $253m for the New Intercity Fleet of trains for the Central Coast, which we already know will seat fewer passengers on each carriage, have immovable backwards facing seats, and which the Government wants to make less safe by running services without guards.
Ms Tesch said the budget failed to deliver despite a promise from the Treasurer to “focus on local communities”.
NSW Treasurer, Mr Dominic Perrottet, said in April that his first Budget would have “a clear focus on local infrastructure and (deliver) for local communities… to make sure that everyone is sharing in that success.”
Ms Tesch said she was disappointed and frustrated that Mr Perrottet failed to mention the Central Coast once in his half hour budget speech.
Despite the $4.5b surplus and a raft of privatisations and service cuts that have affected the Central Coast, the budget has delivered no new projects, she said.
“The Central Coast regional overview in the Budget consisted almost exclusively of ongoing projects from budgets passed, including long delayed commitments from when the government first came to power in 2011,” said Shadow Minister for the Central Coast, Mr David Harris.
Source:
Media release, Jun 20
Zachary Harrison, office of David Harris
Media release, Jun 21
Richard Mehrtens, office of Liesl Tesch