The Albanese Labor Government has handed down a Budget that delivers for the Illawarra, South Coast and the Southern Highlands.
The region’s Labor MPs Alison Byrnes, Fiona Phillips and Carol Berry welcomed the Budget, stating it is all about all about getting local workers, families and businesses through the global oil shock and building an economy that works for more people.
We are delivering more tax relief for 13.3 million workers, helping more people realise the dream of home ownership and creating a fairer and more sustainable tax system for all Australians.
More than 4.1 million workers in NSW will benefit from our new Working Australians Tax Offset.
These new tax cuts meant that, on top of Labor’s existing tax cuts and a new $1,000 instant tax deduction being introduced next financial year, an average Australian worker could benefit by up to almost $3,000 by 2028.
The Albanese Government is also reforming how capital gains tax and negative gearing work to help 75,000 extra homeowners into the market.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said this was all about putting homeowners first and would help more people in NSW get into the housing market.
“Right now, it’s too hard for too many Australians to get into the housing market and get ahead, but these reforms will help to address that,” he said.
This builds on the Government’s work over the last four years to build more homes, including investing over $14 million to Illawarra Community Housing Trust for 49 dwellings in Wollongong and Dapto.
The Albanese Government is also making health care more affordable and accessible, including making medicines cheaper and making Medicare Urgent Care Clinics a permanent feature of our health system.
“There have been more than 100,000 visits to Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, and 10 million scripts filled for cheaper medicines across the Cunningham, Gilmore and Whitlam electorates,” Alison Byrnes MP, Fiona Phillips MP and Carol Berry MP said.
The Budget also includes a $25 billion Commonwealth investment in public hospitals, which will flow through to hospitals like Wollongong, Shellharbour, Bowral, Shoalhaven and Eurobodalla hospitals.
The Budget also includes important relief for small businesses – the backbone of the Illawarra region’s economy.
Labor is making the $20,000 instant asset write-off permanent from next year so that small businesses have the confidence to invest.
This will mean more certainty, more cashflow and less compliance costs for 1.3 million businesses in NSW.
The Budget is also focussed on helping Australians get through the disruption caused by conflict in the Middle East.
“We have already slashed the fuel excise which is flowing through to residents in the Illawarra, South Coast and Southern Highlands at the bowser,” Treasurer Chalmers said.
“Now, we’re investing even more to ensure our cities, towns and regions have the fuel they need.”
Funding has also been delivered for programs like the Growing the Regions Fund, which deliver the infrastructure regions like ours need.
Our Budget is all about building a stronger, more resilient economy that works for more people, which will mean a better economy for people in the Illawarra, South Coast and Southern Highlands.
Quotes attributable to Alison Byrnes MP:
“This Budget delivers real reform that will support people across the Illawarra doing it tough – particularly by addressing issues of intergenerational fairness in our tax and housing systems.
“Significant investment in aged care, hospitals and health, alongside a new round of tax cuts will be particularly welcome in our community.
“We will continue working to address issues across our economy through an intergenerational lens to ensure that our young people can get a fair go.”
Quotes attributable to Fiona Phillips MP:
“This is a bold budget with a strong emphasis on supporting people in regional areas like Gilmore.
“Importantly, there’s a focus on helping first home buyers break into the housing market, which is a big win for young families on the South Coast who I know are finding it tough right now.
“And some great news for the Batemans Bay and Nowra Urgent Care Clinics which are now a permanent part of Medicare.
“The Middle East conflict is being felt locally and we’re doing what we can to help with cost of living, including cheaper medicines, housing support and more tax cuts.
“I’m really thrilled that continued investment of up to $2.5 billion into the MH-60R Seahawk Romeo helicopter program across New South Wales and Queensland will strengthen our naval aviation operations and support jobs in defence and the defence industry here in the Shoalhaven.”
Quotes attributable to Carol Berry MP:
“This Budget is about delivering real cost of living relief and addressing intergenerational inequity.
“It is also about delivering greater productivity and resilience into the Australian economy, during uncertain times.
“This is the most ambitious and important Federal Budget in decades.
“Only Labor can deliver real reform which will benefit all Australians, as well as maintaining a strong budget position.”
