South Coast set to be a big winner when state budget is handed down

Budget highlights - what we know

A new school in Nowra and the first steps towards returning birthing services to the Milton Hospital are expected to be features of Labor's first state budget in 12 years.

NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey hands down the budget on Tuesday, September 19, including more than $1.4 billion for new and upgraded schools in regional areas.

South Coast MP Liza Butler said that would include money for a new primary school serving the growing population in South Nowra and Worrigee.

She said a site on Holloway Road in South Nowra had been identified as a possible location, but it faced opposition.

"The community has said that they weren't very happy with the site there, and the Department of Education has come up with some reasons why that's not a great site," Ms Butler said.

With no other potential site identified, Ms Butler said there would be further discussions with the community to see if its concerns could be addressed.

"We need to look further into that, but Nowra does need a new school," she said.

Ms Butler said the planned school would also include a pre-school, catering for children in their final year before primary school to help them establish routines and early learning practices.

The $1.4 billion also includes plans to upgrade Vincentia High School, Ulladulla High School, Ulladulla Public School and Milton Public School.

In the lead-up to the March state election Labor promised to spend $13 million upgrading Vincentia High School, removing 22 demountable buildings and replacing them with state of the art permanent classrooms.

Ms Butler said Education Minister Prue Car would visit Ulladulla early in the next school term to discuss issues affecting the three schools, particularly chronic overcrowding at Ulladulla High School.

"There's money in the budget for schools in the Ulladulla area," she said.

The community will be invited to discuss ideas and have a say on the next steps, according to Ms Butler.

"I am excited to deliver on my election commitments to improve schools in the Shoalhaven," she said.

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"I look forward to working with the community on how these school infrastructure projects will be rolled out."

Health projects

While work redeveloping Shoalhaven Hospital is continuing, the state budget is expected to allocate $7.5 million to upgrade Milton Hospital.

That includes providing a CT scanner, a $1.5 million upgrade to the community cancer services centre, and $500,000 for master planning, including preparing for birthing services to return.

"During the election campaign, I heard firsthand from residents of the Milton-Ulladulla area about the lack of health services in the region," Ms Butler said.

"I am delighted to see the Minns Labor Government delivering our election commitment to improve services at Milton Hospital."

Road funding

The other big ticket item for the Shoalhaven comes in road funding.

The budget will create the $334 million Regional Roads Fund to help councils build new roads and roundabouts, replace or repair old bridges and improve safety at crash blackspots in rural and regional areas.

It will allocate funds for planning and early work on the East Nowra Sub Arterial Road - tipped to remove about 4000 cars a day from the Princes Highway.

Labor promised $12 million for ENSAR's planning and early works in the lead-up to the last state election, but Ms Butler was unsure how that money would be provided.

"The planning's going to take three years, and then the early works will begin," she said.

"The planning stages will be in this budget."

There is also a new emergency fund prioritising regional road repairs and upgrades, delivering $390 million directly to regional and rural councils for urgent road and pothole repairs.

The Regional Emergency Road Repair Fund will allocate funding across all 95 eligible regional councils and authorities, based on the total kilometres of regional and local roads they are responsible for managing.

"Not only will councils have direct access to funding to fix potholes and make necessary repairs, the delivery of one of our key election commitments will enable preventative or unplanned maintenance to be carried out to ensure safer and smoother journeys for motorists," said Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Jenny Aitchison.