With the Treasurer of New South Wales handing down the 2023-2024 State Budget today, Member for Terrigal Adam Crouch has slammed the Minns Labor Government’s Budget as the worst budget that the Central Coast has ever seen.
“This is by far and away the worse State Budget I have ever seen for the Central Coast, with no new money for health infrastructure, no new money for education infrastructure and no new money for road infrastructure.”
“This is a budget that punishes the people of the Central Coast, slashing and means testing Active Kids vouchers, axing the Regional Seniors Travel Card and providing no vision for the future of our region.” said Mr Crouch
Mr Crouch said what was worse is that even with four Central Coast Labor MPs, the Budget Summary for the Central Coast included funding for projects that had already been funded and completed under the former Liberal-National Government.
“This summary paper for the Central Coast includes $200 million for the re-development of Wyong Hospital, which was entirely funded and completed by the former Liberal-National government and opened by former Premier Dominic Perrottet in October 2022.”
“Also included in the Central Coast budget summary was $47 million for the upgrade of the intersection of the Pacific Highway connecting Harrington and Coopernook, which is three hundred kilometres away.”
“After delaying this budget for months, this lazy and miserable government couldn’t even be bothered to fact-check their one-page budget summary for the Central Coast, and the four Central Coast Labor MPs obviously couldn’t be bothered to do the same.” he said.
Among the projects not funded in the 2023-24 NSW State Budget was the brand-new TAFE in the centre of Gosford, put forward as part of the former Liberal-National government’s education vision for the Central Coast.
“This budget was the biggest opportunity the State Government to build on the former Liberal-National government’s vision for Gosford as a regional education hub, and they have failed.”
“TAFE NSW and Central Coast Council have signed the contract of transferring the old Council Chambers site to TAFE NSW for a state-of-the-art TAFE in the heart of Gosford.”
“This is now all at risk because this miserable Minns government is not providing one dollar to support this fantastic education project, despite TAFE wanting to proceed with this as quickly as possible for the 3,000 students that attend the current out-of-date and unsuitable TAFE site.” he said.
With a State Budget that punishes the Central Coast and provides a lack of vision for the future of the Central Coast, Mr Crouch said he will continue to hold the Minns Government and the Central Coast Labor MPs to account for the budget’s massive shortcomings.
“I’m absolutely gobsmacked that the Minns Government thought this budget was acceptable for our region and equally gobsmacked that the four Central Coast Labor MPs did nothing to advocate for more funding for our region.”