!['Few surprises': budget delivers funding for promises 'Few surprises': budget delivers funding for promises](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/yRSj6DDuWivnNCc45BdLiH/2bc6bf8e-67b9-4596-8d6a-0169621bed7a.jpg/r0_0_1600_900_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Promises made during the state election campaign in March could soon become reality after funding was committed in the state's budget.
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Around $41 million of promises were outlined in the budget this week.
Among the line items in the budget is the new community centre, sealing Dickie and Boorga Road and a citrus centre of excellence.
The hospital has received $14.2 million for this financial year, with a total of $250 million committed by 2024.
Griffith mayor John Dal Broi welcomed the government's effort's to stick to promises made during the election campaign.
"What we're finding is all the commitments made by the government is they are honouring them even though they didn't win the seat," Councillor Dal Broi said.
Cr Dal Broi said there were few surprises in the budget outside of $1.2 million for re-development of Griffith Courthouse.
Cr Dal Broi welcomed $710,000 for a lighting upgrade at Griffith airport.
"I wouldn't be surprised to see our flights increase, there's five flights a day now and they're nearly all full," he said.
Cr Dal Broi estimated passengers flying from Griffith had grown to around 80,000 people annually.
He said the funding for projects would keep council busy for two to three years as the work was completed.
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"This budget shows being a swing seat makes a real difference," Member for Murray Helen Dalton said.
While Mrs Dalton welcomed the commitment of funding for projects, she said more was needed to be done to address "rural decline" in Griffith and the MIA.
More funding has been allocated to the hospital but Mrs Dalton said progress was slow on the re-development of Griffith Base Hospital, and Deniliquin and Leeton were being left behind.
"Deni and Leeton hospital are getting piddling amounts, just $3.2 million and $2.5 million respectively. That won't even be enough to upgrade the parking facilities," Mrs Dalton said.
"The hospital build is moving far too slowly and I will be pressuring the government to speed things up."
Elsewhere in the MIA, $40,000 has been committed to replace Leeton's water treatment plant, $1.1 million to upgrade the Corbie Hill and Boree Roads for road trains, $3 million will be used to upgrade Hay's main street and Matthews Bridge at Maude will be replaced at a cost of $7.8 million.
THE FULL LIST
- $5.6 million to seal the Dickie and Boorga Roads
- $650,000 for upgrades to the Jones Rd and Boorga Rd intersection to provide for HPV access
- $3.13 million Tharbogang to Nericon Subtransmission Line (funding to Essential Energy for this)
- Griffith Base Hospital is getting $250 million by 2024, but only $14.2 million in this upcoming 2019 - 2020 financial year
- $3.65 million for new Griffith Community Centre
- Griffith Court will be getting a $1.2 million redevelopment and upgrade
- $300,000 for the Griffith Citrus Centre for Excellence
- No figure, however a commitment to fund a TAFE Learning Centre in Griffith/Leeton
- $386,000 for the Aboriginal Housing Office in Griffith
- $575,000 for the development of The Hanwood Cycleway along the eastern side of Kidman Way
- $710,000 for Griffith Airport airside and lighting upgrade
- $1.1 million for the Eulo Rd Coleambally reconstruction
- $5.9 million for the Griffith Southern Industrial Link stages 5b, 6a and 6b
- $1.6 million for upgrades to the McDonalds Rd, Coleambally
- $78,000 for Griffith Livestock Marketing Centre Truck Wash
- $2.7 million for bridge approach + road construction on the Whitton Darlington Point Rd
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