Federal MP Sussan Ley has welcomed a massive boost in rail spending from tonight’s Federal Budget as
“a huge win for our electorate and a major boost for regional Australia”.

Measures announced in the Budget which are set to benefit Farrer, include;

• $8.4b on Inland Rail, building the ‘eastern’ NSW freight route through Albury-Wodonga
• Extra $500m to upgrade regional rail in Victoria, including the North East line to Albury
• $20m for the Murray Basin Rail project

This expenditure is outside a further $20m to investigate fast passenger rail options and $10 billion over 10 years for the National Passenger Rail Program, assessing passenger rail projects which meet national housing, city and region building and local employment priorities.

In other Budget measures, Ms Ley also welcomed a lifting of the indexation freeze on Financial Assistance Grants to local councils which will pump an extra $800m direct to Local Government over the next 12 months.

“I am also delighted to see an extra $200m being pumped into the Building Better Regions Fund, as well as an extra $272m on other regional infrastructure projects.”

“A further $150,000 is being allocated across Farrer for the Stronger Communities Program, which is also vital for smaller community projects to receive Australian Government support.”

“Whether it is support for a continued decentralisation program, the guarantee for community legal centre funding, through to the small business tax write-off and plans for the Snowy Hydro, this Budget is set to do good things in regional Australia to secure better days ahead”, Ms Ley concluded.