DESPITE a record surplus as the government reaps the rewards of asset sales, the Hunter has largely missed out in this year’s state budget.
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Most of the spending earmarked for the Hunter is for projects the government has previously committed to.
Key highlights in the 2017-18 budget
$206 million for Newcastle Light Rail
$29 million for the New England Highway Scone bypass and $23.4 million totowards Cormorant Road, Industrial Drive to Stockton Bridge (state and federally funded
$12 million to widen the rail underpass for the New England Highway, Gowrie Gates
$5 million in 2017-18 for the upgrade of the New England Highway, Belford to Golden Highway upgrade planning
Continuing works on Rutherford Public and Belmont High schools
$5 million towards building a new hospital at Maitland with an estimated total cost of $450 million
Continuing work on the Muswellbrook Hospital redevelopment with $13 million
Additional prison capacity at Cessnock Correctional Centre with an investment of $587 million for more than 1000 prison beds
$75 million in total Restart NSW funding for the Hunter Infrastructure and Investment Fund
Continuing works on the relocation of V8 Supercar Championship Grand Finale to Newcastle
$43 million to remediate Newcastle BHP sites
$7 million to undertake urgent repair works across seven sites within the Hunter Valley Flood Mitigation Scheme
$700,000 for Environment Protection Authority PFAS strategy including Williamtown
$11.8 million to continue work on the Lower Hunter Freight Corridor between Hexham to Fassifern