THE numbers have been crunched and Dubbo has received the most funding from the NSW Government compared to Orange and Bathurst.
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Data compiled by Orange City Council shows the Orange electorate has received $22 million less from the NSW Government than its neighbours since the Coalition won the 2015 election, with Member for Orange Phil Donato labelling it punishment for his area voting against the Nationals.
The data showed the Orange electorate had received $170.8 million, compared with $192.8 million for Bathurst and a whopping $498.8 million for Dubbo.
Prison upgrades accounted for $110 million of Bathurst’s total, with another $10 million to upgrade Portland’s waste water systems.
The biggest-ticket items for Dubbo were $188 million to upgrade Wellington jail, $140 million for the Newell Highway bridge and $24 million for Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
The Guanna Hill upgrade ($43 million) and two pipelines to Carcoar and Molong ($38 million) were Orange’s most lucrative projects.
Mr Donato said Bathurst and Dubbo’s treatment was a reflection of the Nationals’ shock loss in Orange.
“They’ve [the Nationals] realised they can’t take for granted that they’ll retain those seats,” he said.
“We’re all taxpayers and there’s no reason why funding shouldn’t be proportionate to that.”
Asked if the funding was a reflection of his own performance since the byelection that brought him to NSW Parliament, Mr Donato said representation was also part of the job and his lobbying for farming freight subsidies had a broader impact.
Orange mayor Reg Kidd said Orange was not being punished.
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