Member for Maitland Jenny Aitchison has welcomed the NSW state budget, saying the NSW Government was continuing its investment in education, health, housing and essential infrastructure for the Maitland community.
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The budget includes funding for Gillieston Public School upgrades and Maitland Integrated Community Health and Mental Health Service.
"It's great to see continued investment in the upgrade of the Gillieston Public School," Ms Aitchison said.
"This is a project which will see the residents of Gillieston Heights get the quality public school they deserve. In addition, every public school in Maitland will benefit from the statewide maintenance blitz that will see our local schools brought up to standard."
Ms Aitchison said she is also pleased to see the investment in health services.
"I am pleased to see more money for the Maitland Integrated Community Health and Mental Health Service," she said.
"This will allow us to consolidate our community health and mental health services into a new purpose-built site which will allow for more coordinated outpatient and community care.
"Despite a 10 per cent increase in Maitland hospital staffing since NSW Labor came into Government, the lack of bulk billing GPs has put pressure on our emergency departments.
"The Government's historic payroll tax incentives for GP to encourage 70 per cent bulk billing rates for regional GPs. This will be a great opportunity for Maitland residents to get access to better health care from their GPs, and free up our emergency department."
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Ms Aitchison said there is funding for social housing in Maitland.
"I am pleased to see a substantial investment in upgrading social housing properties in Maitland and the massive investment in the state government's Building Homes Program of $6.6 billion will see more homes and help to relieve the housing crisis for the most vulnerable in our community," she said.
"Investment in road and water infrastructure will provide more money for the planning of the duplication of the Thornton Road Bridge. Water infrastructure is vital for our growing community and a $19.1 million investment in water treatment works at Farley and water infrastructure for our growing communities in the western suburbs of Maitland, is essential.
"Major road projects, which have been in the pipeline for decades, are finally underway across the Hunter particularly the M1 to Raymond Terrace, Hexham Straight Widening, the Singleton and Muswellbrook Bypasses and Rankin Park to Jesmond upgrades.
"These massive road and infrastructure projects will help people in the Maitland electorate, reducing the commute for work, education and medical care, as well as increasing employment opportunities."
Ms Aitchison said Maitland will benefit from funding for roads impacted by natural disasters.
"There is no doubt that Maitland will also benefit from the statewide investment in recovery from five years of floods and other natural disasters, with $3.3 billion for road recovery, a record investment by a NSW government," she said.
"There is also a record investment in road safety with $2.8 billion being spent on road safety across the state."
