Mayor of Singleton puts NSW Government on notice ahead of first budget
Published on 11 July 2023
With the rising cost of living compounding the pressures on all levels of government, Mayor of Singleton Cr Sue Moore has appealed to the NSW Government to consider the needs of the Singleton community as it reviews its programs in the lead up to handing down its first budget in September.
Cr Moore said from the bypass to the Hunter Transition Authority, Singleton and the greater Hunter have taken even greater prominence on Macquarie Street of late, and it’s the perfect platform to direct the conversation to the issues important to her local community.
Cr Moore has outlined seven key items for the state government to fund in the upcoming budget from the Singleton Advocacy and Infrastructure Agendas, including:
- Commitment to a statutory body to drive a whole-of-region approach to economic evolution
- Commitment to continuation of Resources for Regions Program for mining communities
- Improved processes and funding for Emergency Management
- Improvement and simplification of state-delivered grant programs
- Equitable government support for regional infrastructure to allow development-ready land
- Deliver Bulga - Milbrodale water security
- Hunter Regional Livestock Exchange Development
“As the mayor of Singleton, I have written to the Premier of NSW Chris Minns as well as relevant ministers and our local MPs to seek their commitment to take action on each of these issues for and on behalf of the people of the Singleton local government area ahead of the NSW Labor Government’s first budget,” Cr Moore said.
“Top issues include a commitment to the continuation of the Resources for Regions grant program, improved processes to emergency management to speed up recovery, the delivery of the Bulga – Milbrodale water supply project, upgrades to the Hunter Regional Livestock Exchange, and more support for regional infrastructure to allow development -ready land.
“In Singleton, there are more than 5,100 development-ready lots, of which more than 2,000 will require access to critical water and sewer infrastructure to realise delivery. Without access to the regional-scale funding support, these developments are unlikely to progress.
“As we well know, this is a critical time for our community on a range of fronts – economically, we’re planning for an industry-diverse future to ensure the prosperity of our region; environmentally, we’re pondering questions around energy and power generation; and politically, we’re working hard to advocate for items that support a vibrant and active local Singleton community.
“We’re actively lobbying for the services and infrastructure that will have a direct impact on the liveability of our residents now, and which will help to attract more people to our area in the years to come.
“As the government looks to tighten their purse strings to curtail inflation, I will do my absolute best to ensure that Singleton, which supplies the government with such wealth, doesn’t fall victim to penny-pinching by decision makers in Sydney.”
The NSW Government will hand down its budget on Tuesday 19 September 2023.
For more information on the Singleton Advocacy Agenda and the Singleton Infrastructure Agenda, visit W singleton.nsw.gov.au/advocacy