Budget pledges $2.8 billion for aged care and disability services

The New South Wales Government has announced a $2.8 billion spending package for aged care and disability services in the state's 2011-12 State Budget.

 

The Budget has slated $2.02 billion to build on disability services over the coming five years. NSW Minister for Ageing and Disability Services, Andrew Constance, said the additional funding will increase disability services capacity by an estimated 47,000 places.

 

The 2011-12 Budget has allocated a total of $2.8 billion to Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Department of Family and Community Services NSW (ADHC).

 

As part of the second phase of the Stronger Together strategy, an additional $137.6 million will be invested in disability support in 2011-12 including:

 

  • $22.6 million on an extra 300 supported accommodation places including 100 Supported Living Fund packages that support people with disability to live in their own communities.
  •  $15.2 million on Community Participation to support an additional 500 school leavers with a disability.
  • $6 million on Family Support creating an additional 1,620 places to assist children and their families at the time when assistance is most effective.
  • $4 million on decision support services to build the skills and capabilities of people with a disability and improve the social contexts in which they live.
  • $5.2 million on Community Engagement for an additional 260 places for age appropriate day time activities and supports for adults with a disability.
  • $3.4 million on Attendant Care for an additional 55 places in portable, flexible and individualised support for people with a physical disability who need personal help to complete activities on a daily basis.
  • $3.4 million on Flexible Respite for an additional 840 places for short term and timelimited breaks for families and care givers of people with a disability.
  • $2.6 million to non-government organisations for an additional 990 therapy places to build the skills and capabilities of clients.
  •  $3.1 million on Peaks, Advocacy & Information Services to support individuals and families by representing their interests and assist them to access information so they can make informed choices and participate in their community.

 

 

Port Botany to lease for 99 years

New South Wales Treasurer Mike Baird has announced plans to lease out Port Botany, Australia's second busiest container port, for 99 years in an attempt to return the state to surplus.

 

Mr Baird said it is anticipated the Port Botany facility will be refinanced under a 99-year lease with a view to completing the transaction in the first half of 2013.

 

“The Port Botany assets include three container terminals with six container vessel berths, increasing to 11 berths upon completion of the Terminal 3 expansion project in 2012, and a bulk liquids berth,” Mr Baird said.

 

“The recent $2.1 billion transaction of a 99-year lease to operate the Port of Brisbane demonstrated strong private sector interest in operating port facilities and the value that can be realised for taxpayers."

 

Mr Baird expressed his hopes that the lease would ensure productivity gains as well as enabling the State Government to concentrate on funding priority infrastructure projects.

 

The proceeds from the transaction will be invested in Restart NSW  – the fund established by the NSW Government to deliver  vital infrastructure projects, with 30 per cent of the fund to be reserved for projects in regional areas.

 

Ports Minister Duncan Gay said private management of Port Botany will allow port businesses to focus on efficiency and service outcomes such as enhancing the operation of the supply chain.

 

“The Government will ensure key public interest outcomes are protected,” Mr Gay said.

 

“This transaction only relates to Port Botany facilities and does not apply to Port of Newcastle or Port Kembla. A pre-transaction scoping study will be undertaken and will include an assessment of the best way to deal with Sydney Ports Corporation’s residual Sydney Harbour facilities,” Mr Gay said.

 

The NSW Government will immediately commence preliminary work for the transaction process. Based on a similar timetable to the Port of Brisbane sale, the sale process should run between October 2012 and March 2013, with completion by mid- 2013.

 

Budget outlines medical research funding

 

The New South Wales State Budget has outlined $105.6 million for medical research in the 2011-12 financial year.

 

Major investments in Medical Research in 2011-12 include:

  • Over $60 million for capital grants to the Westmead Millennium Institute, Australian Advanced Treatment Centre at Prince Of Wales Hospital, Neuroscience Research Australia, and the Children’s Medical Research Institute at Westmead.
  • $32 million for the Medical Research Support Program which supports infrastructure and operating costs for 17 medical research institutes in NSW. This includes rolling $10 million into the base funding that was previously only “top up” funding, and a $5 million boost as per election commitments. 
  • Almost $3 million for the Spinal Cord Injury and Other Related Neurological Conditions Research Grants Program.
  • Almost $10 million for the Translational Cancer Research Program, with grants administered by the Cancer Institute NSW.

The NSW Government has also established an Office for Medical Research and is developing the state's first 10-year Health and Medical Research Strategic Plan



 

Budget announces $1.1 billion for primary industries

 

The New south Wales Budget has outlined $1.1 billion in spending in the Department of Primary Industries to deliver services and programs for the state's rural and regional communities.

 

State Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, said that the Budget will maximise opportunities for the Department of Primary Industries, which covers areas including Agriculture, Forests, Fisheries, Water, Catchment Management Authorities and Crown Lands.

 

Spending includes:

  • $390 million across the agriculture, fisheries and biosecurity sectors of DPI, which will include funding for science and research, particularly food security
  • $190 million to protect valuable agricultural land and continue world class research and industry development programs
  • $120 million investment in biosecurity, which includes funding to control noxious weeds.
  •  $90 million to be spent on NSW fisheries, some of which will go toward funding the NSW Government’s commitment for a scientific audit of marine parks as well as restructuring the commercial fishing industry
  •  More than $380 million will be invested in Catchment Management Authorities and Crown Lands, including $230 million for the proper management of the State’s 33,000 Crown reserves
  • $260 million investment in NSW water management, and $97 million for the State’s water utilities, of which $84 million will go toward the Country Towns Water Supply and Sewerage Program to fund important sewerage and water upgrades in the State
  • $32 million for natural resource management under Catchment Action NSW, of which
  • $27 million will go to the State’s Catchment Management Authorities to improve local environments and undertake state-wide project
  • $13 million to continue the $57 million biosecurity upgrade of Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute to ensure it is prepared to deal with biosecurity threats
  • $12.3 million for coastal infrastructure repairs on maritime assets on Crown Land including major maintenance works at Batemans Bay, Bermagui, Coffs Harbour, Eden, Nelson Bay, Port Macquarie, Swansea and Wollongong
  •  More than $11 million to fund water and sewerage programs within 60 Aboriginal communities across NSW
  • $11 million to control noxious weeds across NSW, which includes an extra $1.5 millionin 2011-12 to improve agricultural productivity to protect the environment
  • $7.5 million for the continued rehabilitation of artesian bores as part of the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative (GABSI), which is an infrastructure renewalprogram funded jointly by NSW and the Commonwealth
  • $5.5 million to meet the Government’s commitments under the Tweed River EntranceSand Bypassing Act 1995, which will see the continuation of sand pumping and dredging at the entrance of the Tweed River
  • $1.7 million to further establish a biosecurity information management system to improve capacity to deal with biosecurity threats in NSW
  • $1.4 million for shark meshing throughout NSW to continue an extremely successful program

 

 

$1.4 billion for environment and heritage works

The New South Wales Government has outlined $1.4 billion in spending for environmental and heritage works in the state's Budget.

 

 “From electricity and water savings programs, to measures to tackle illegal dumping and improving national parks management,” State Minister for Environment and Heritage Robyn Parker said.

 

The spending announcement included:

 

  • $40 million over the next four years for improving management, visitor access and education in national parks and for the creation of Dharawal National Park
  • A $40 million Green Corridors fund over four years to purchase and protect strategic areas of high conservation value and ensure sufficient green spaces across Sydney and NSW, including Cranebrook Nature Reserve
  • $8 million contribution for community based programs to restore bushland locally
  • $5 million over three years for exclusion netting in the Sydney basin and Central Coast to provide better protection for threatened flying foxes and orchards
  • $1.4 million over four years to provide 2 new air quality monitoring stations in theGreater Sydney region; and $400,000 for a Rutherford Clean Air pilot

 

The 2011-12 environment Budget also includes:

  • $74 million for programs focussed on energy efficiency and water savings for low income households, community groups, schools and business
  • $34 million for a Clean Energy Supply program, which will fund low emissions coal technology, renewable and green business initiatives
  • $35 million to local councils to help them improve recycling and other local priority environmental services to the community
  • $19 million to support local councils to conduct estuary, coastal and flood plain management planning and mitigation, with a new focus on preparing for more coastal storms and sea level rise
  • $2.8 million in grants to help protect the heritage of local communities

 

 

 

Budget outlines infrastructure spend

 

The New South Wales State Government has allocated $5.4 billion in road building and maintenance of key road assets in the state's Budget.

 

Major road investments in the 2011-12 Budget include:

  • $2.4 billion for new roads;
  • $1.2 billion for maintenance for the State’s existing roads;
  • $344 million in improvements to the traffic network; and
  • $265 million for road safety.

 

Major improvement works include:

  • More than $80 million this year on major upgrades to the Princes Highway including    projects at Gerringong, South Nowra, Victoria Creek and Bega;
  • $1 billion this year to upgrade the Pacific Highway, including completing the Ballina bypass and Glenugie upgrade and progressing bypasses of Buladelah, Kempsey and Woogoolga;
  • $250 million to duplicate the Hume Highway including funding construction of the Holbrook, Woomargama and Tarcutta bypasses, which are key links in providing a four lane divided highway between Sydney and Melbourne;
  • $570 million for continuing work on the $1.7 billion Hunter Expressway, a new 40 kilometre four lane freeway between Newcastle and the Hunter;
  • $38 million to widen the Central Coast Highway to four lanes between Erina and Wamberal, improving accessibility between the F3 Sydney Newcastle freeway and beach suburbs on the Central Coast;
  • $119 million towards upgrading the Great Western Highway across the Blue Mountains; and
  • $25 million to complete widening the F5 between Brooks Road and Narellan Road improving access for south western Sydney motorists. This year’s Budget also has funds allocated to complete a number of important projects including:
  • $23 million to complete widening the Oxley Highway to four lanes from Wrights Road, Port Macquarie to the Pacific Highway. (Total project cost $115 million)
  • $7 million to complete the upgrade of the northern approach to Alfords Point Bridge at Padstow Heights, including a new bridge over Henry Lawson Drive. (Total project cost $42 million)
  • $15 million to complete widening of Camden Valley Way from Cobbitty Road to Narrellan Road, Harrington Park. (Total project cost $33 million)
  • $6 million for the upgrade of Hoxton Park Road to four lanes between Banks Road and Cowpasture Road, HoxtonPark. (Total project cost $62 million)
  • $7 million for road safety improvements on the Barton Highway at Gounyan. (Total project cost $22 million)