Regional Australia the 'biggest loser' in 2022-2023 federal budget, says Parkes MP Mark Coulton

"The biggest loser in this budget is regional Australia," the member for Parkes said.

"After 10 years in opposition, Labor are clearly taking out their frustration on regional Australia, scrapping programs and funding that had significant benefit to the bush."

On the evening of October 25, Federal treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down Labor's first federal budget in 11 years promising "a responsible Budget that is right for the times and readies us for the future".

However, Mark Coulton of the Nationals told the Daily Liberal he had concerns the budget was cutting back support for regional and rural areas.

"Obviously not everything in the budget we're opposing but the things I am disappointed about are quite large," he said.

"I think the government don't really understand that the bush is going through a very positive time and we've actually kept the country going through the pandemic - it's the exports from minerals and agriculture that have kept this country afloat."

Mr Coulton said one of the biggest losses for the electorate - which extends from Dubbo to the western border of NSW and north to the Queensland border - was the cutting of the Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF).

The Labor party accused the coalition of using the fund for so-called pork barreling of its own seats.

But Mr Coulton said cutting the fund would be a "devastating loss" for communities in the Parkes electorate which have received more than $46 million in "crucial" funds through the program.

"The biggest loss will will be the $2.45 million promised for Macquarie Homestay to increase the number of rooms there to meet the demand. They've turned away large numbers of people just because space is limited," he said.

"That's disappointing because no one can argue the case that Macquarie Homestay was not worthy of grants and there was something corrupt going on or it was a pork barrel or whatever you want to call it."

"I've been deeply offended by some of the softening up of what the government's done by saying they had to cancel these programs because it's some form of corruption - that's nonsense."

In its place the Labor government is injecting $1billion over three years to roll out two new regional funding programs.

The new Growing Regions Program will support councils and community groups to fund regional and rural infrastructure projects such as libraries and airport upgrades.

The government will also work with states and local councils to invest in place-based projects in regional centres through the new regional Precincts and Partnerships Program.

But Mr Coulton said there's no guarantee the projects promised funding under the coalition's scheme will see any of this funding.

"We haven't seen the criteria for what will be required for these schemes. They'll have to reapply - hopefully the work they've done won't be wasted and it won't take long for that to open up," he said.

"It's also a lower amount of money spread over a longer period of time."

While extra childcare subsidies promised under the budget will be a welcome relief for working parents, Mr Coulton said it does little to improve access to childcare in rural areas which don't have the childcare spots to meet demand.

"That's great for people who have got kids in childcare now - but there's no money put aside there to actually expand the services or build new ones in areas where the markets are too thin to attract the corporate operators," he said.

"Dubbo is serviced well and some of the childcare facilities are quite large and there are new ones popping up from time to time - but if you go to a place like Mungindi where lots of young families are coming because there are opportunities, and there's no childcare service at all."

Other key concern in the budget for our region, according to Coulton, are increased taxes on transport, a decrease in the number of apprenticeship spots and the return of water buybacks.

But it's not all doom-and-gloom - Mr Coulton said he was pleased to see Labor's commitment to continuing schemes to bolster the healthcare workforce in rural areas and improve telecommunications infrastructure.

The government plans to spend $757.7 million over five years on improving mobile and broadband connectivity in the regions, including $400 million over five years to support the rollout of mobile base stations and $40 million over three years to improve mobile coverage and reception across Australia.

Despite the hits, Mr Coulton is confident the region has the resilience to stay strong.

"Regional Australia is a resilient place, we're not going to curl up and cry. But it'll just be harder."

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