The budget provided $25 million for stages three and four of the Dubbo Hospital upgrade and $8.4 million for Dubbo’s Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

There was $1.6 million for roads and infrastructure at Wellington, $1.5 million for roads at Narromine and $3 million to upgrade the Blackbutt Road-Newell Highway intersection on Dubbo’s outskirts. (More details page 2.)

Regional Development Australia Orana chairman John Walkom said overall it was a really positive budget for regional NSW.

He said if he was asked to score it, he would give it 7.5 out of 10.

“. . .holistically the budget that’s been delivered is very positive,” he said.

“It’s not metropolitan-centric.

“It has a strong regional emphasis.”

In the lead-up to the budget Mr Walkom said he wanted to see “jobs, jobs and more jobs”.

After it was handed down, the regional development champion said the budget was working in the right direction.

Mr Walkom highlighted the Jobs for NSW Fund, with regional NSW to receive 30 per cent of the $190 million commitment over four years.

He also praised the “serious spending” in regional airports, rail efficiency improvements and roads, saying they were areas RDA Orana always pushed.

NSW Business Central West Orana and Far West regional manager Vicki Seccombe said the $3.4 billion surplus in the 2016-17 Budget was a good result for business.

Dubbo had not been overlooked when it came to infrastructure investment, with a $25 million commitment to the hospital and the $8.4 million for work at the zoo, she said.

“The $15 million in additional funds for the Mobile Black Spots Program to resolve regional mobile ‘black spots’ is greatly needed and I hope we see a percentage of this funding being allocated to the region,” she said.

Western Plains Regional Council administrator Michael Kneipp said the budget was a good news story for the region.

The best thing about the budget was that the economy was in such a healthy state, being almost debt-free and having a triple-A credit rating.

He welcomed the infrastructure spending,for the hospital, the zoo and roads and infrastructure upgrades at Wellington.

Deputy Premier and Dubbo MP Troy Grant said the Blackbutt Road project was an important project that would allow work to get underway.

In recent months concerns relating to the speed zone along the section of the Newell Highway had been brought to his attention, he said.

“I can advise the community... I have sought a review of the speed zone on that section of the Newell highway,” he said.

“Works on the intersection upgrade will commence over the coming months.

“I commend those in the community who have kept up the fight to get his intersection upgraded and the speed zone reviewed.”

He said he was really proud of the investment in a new exhibit at the zoo.

“I will leave the details to the zoo’s general manager Matt Fuller, but I’ve very confident it will be a roaring success,” he said.

Health

$25 million for stages 3 and 4 of the Dubbo Hospital upgrade

Environment

$8.4 million for works at Taronga Western Plains Zoo

Roads

* $1.6 million in funding for road and infrastructure upgrades in Wellington

* $1.5 million for roads in Narromine, including $200,000 for the replacement of Bulgandramine Bridge.

* $2.8 million to invest in roads in the Mid-Western Region.

* $3 million to upgrade the Blackbutt Road intersection with the Newell Highway on Dubbo's outskirts with works to include slip lane/ turning lane enhancements.

Police

Continuing the construction of the $16 million Walgett police station with $1.2 million allocated in 2016-17.

Freight

$14 million will be spent on the Golden Highway and $46 million for upgrades on the Newell Highway, including realignment works at Grong Grong and Trewilga, building and planning for new overtaking lanes, heavy duty pavement upgrades, planning for a bypass of Parkes, and planning for improvements at Coonabarabran and Dubbo.

Sport

The region will get some benefits from an extra $4 million over four years for Regional Academies of Sport.

Rail

* $242 million to upgrade and maintain regional freight rail lines to support delivery of 192 priority regional projects under the NSW Boating Now program and other boating initiatives.

Local government

Each new council will receive up to $10 million to meet the costs of merging and up to an additional $15 million to kick start new investment in community infrastructure through the Stronger Communities Fund.

Youth unemployment

The new $100 million Smart, Skilled and Hired initiative will target the State's highest areas of youth unemployment and respond to the high demands for skilled workers in the construction and disability sectors.

The TAFE NSW budget for 2016-17 is $1.8 billion - an increase of 5.4 per cent on the TAFE NSW revised expenditure forecast for 2015-16.

Schools and education

*Attacking the maintenance backlog: more than doubling funding for backlog maintenance from $160 million to $330 million over two years to address priority maintenance needs in schools

Water security

· $45 million under the Country Towns Water Supply and Sewerage Program

* $18 million to implement water reform initiatives in the Murray Darling Basin

·*$9.4 million to improve water and sewerage services for Aboriginal communities.

*More than $159 million will be invested in Local Land Services to continue delivery of essential advisory services to farmers and landholders across regional NSW.

Emergency services

Continuing work on the Gulgong and Nyngan Fire Stations