Gunnedah federal budget 2020: investments to benefit shire

Key investments for the shire include:

Parkes MP Mark Coulton said the budget was encouraging shire residents to "have a go, get a job, work, and have the ability to keep that money themselves rather than pay it in tax".

"We find ourselves in tough economic times, but the 2020-21 budget contains key incentives for individuals, small businesses, local governments and community groups that I know will make a great difference locally," Mr Coulton said.

"The prospects of employment in the Gunnedah region are still very strong, not just in the agriculture and mining sector, but in health, education, aged care and a lot of the other skills in the trades there's opportunities.

"The budget is encouraging employment for the younger people, particularly with apprentices, and I think that's been a missing bit for our country towns for a long time and the fact that we can train our local people to pick up apprenticeships and give them the training they need."

READ ALSO:

He also said the extra $200 million to extend the Building Better Regions Fund for a fifth round would encourage tourism within the shire.

"With international travel stopping, a lot of Australians have been looking at their own region and Gunnedah has certainly had a boom in this," Mr Coulton said.

The town has also had a boom in road infrastructure, with Gunnedah Shire Council to receive $1,400,823 as part of the LRCI, which has left mayor Jamie Chaffey pleased.

Liverpool Plains Shire Council will also receive $785,593 from the LCRI.

Cr Chaffey said it was a "good, sound budget, one that's sound for rural and regional Australia as much as it is for the metropolitan areas".

He said the LRCI funding would need to be directed to the highest priority projects, which would be determined by the council.

"Many projects are currently under construction and there are projects that business cases are being developed for, and also planning for future infrastructure needs for our growing shire," he told the NVI.

"It's great to hear that the funds will be guaranteed and will be recognised for the Gunnedah shire community but it's yet to be determined where those funds will be directed."

Despite the government incentivising relocation to the country for harvest workers, Cr Chaffey would like to see similar initiatives extended to other industries such as teachers and other skilled employment vacancies.

"There are vacancies in so many skilled positions across all industries so that announcement is significant but what we need in our community now, is for skilled educators to become available to allow these apprenticeship courses to be run through our local TAFE and not merely supporting a regional approach to TAFE training," Cr Chaffey said on Wednesday.

"We will continue to talk to all levels of government about our concerns [and] the issues that are hampering the growth and prosperity of the Gunnedah shire at every opportunity."