THE NSW 2022-23 Budget has been announced and Port Stephens is on the list of winners.

In the Education sector, $5.6 million and $5 million in funding has been allocated to continue major upgrades and refurbishments at Hunter River High School and Irrawang High School respectively to continue delivering upgraded core facilities and dedicated learning support places.

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Roads and Transport will see a boost, with $1.4 billion over four years to continue planning the Pacific Motorway (M1) extension to Raymond Terrace (both state and federally funded) and commence early works on the widening of Hexham Straight.

$156.3 million over four years will go towards improving safety and travel times on Nelson Bay Road, including commencing work on a 1km section of the existing road from Salt Ash to Bobs Farm.

Funding for the Planning and Environment sector includes $21.5 million additional funds over eight years to maintain the Hunter Valley Flood Mitigation Scheme to help minimise flood risk and $6.6 million for the Hunter to deliver new and upgraded quality homes for First Nations people through the Aboriginal Housing Office.

The Special Activation Precinct Pre-Delivery Works in Williamtown has also been allocated $25 million.

Additionally, over $7.2 billion has been committed to cost-of-living measures, including a new Premier’s Back to School Program which will run from 1 January 2023 to 30 June 2023, giving $150 to parents to help purchase school uniforms, shoes, bags and textbooks as well as other stationery.

Funding for the environment and heritage in the Budget include $598 million over ten years for National Parks and Wildlife Service to deliver 250 permanent jobs, including 200 firefighters, and critical infrastructure and fleet upgrades, $286.2 million over four years to implement the NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041 and NSW Plastics Action Plan and $206.2 million over ten years in natural capital for a Sustainable Farming Program, rewarding farmers who opt into an accreditation program to improve carbon and biodiversity outcomes.

Other highlights in the 2022-23 Budget include more than $149 million to reduce costs for regional patients including an expansion of the Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTASS), $33 billion investment in health and recruiting more than 10,000 full-time equivalent staff to hospitals, NSW Ambulance and health services across the State, $16.5 billion over ten years to break the barriers to opportunity for women and help give our children the best start in life including by investing in affordable and accessible childcare and creating a universal year of pre-kindergarten in the year before school and $2.8 billion to help more families find a place to call home, including $728.6 million for tax reform to help people own their first home.

Emergency Services will also receive a boost, with $191 million for the Rural Fire Service, $132.7 million for the State Emergency Service, $30 million for Fire and Rescue NSW and $1.4 billion for Resilience NSW.

To view the whole 2022-23 NSW Budget, visit https://www.budget.nsw.gov.au/budget-papers

By Tara CAMPBELL