‘Best budget our community has seen’: Funding commitments for Limestone Coast

Regional South Australians often say that government funding stops at the tollgate, but the state budget has won applause.

Heading into the SA election, Labor made big promises to the Limestone Coast with huge spending heralded for a region that felt neglected by previous governments.

Independent Mount Gambier MP Troy Bell said he was thrilled the government had made good on its pre-election promises committing $100m to the Limestone Coast.

Mr Bell said the record spending would create a “jobs bonanza” in the region.

Mount Gambier MP Troy Bell called for regional SA to be allowed to resume business as usual. Picture: Supplied Troy Bell

“I think this is one of the best budgets that our community is going to see,’ he said.

“You take last year’s budget of $2.3 million for the entire Limestone Coast — this budget is 50 times bigger and better.”

Health spending has been a major concern but $52.7m has been promised to the region.

Premier Peter Malinauskas toured the Mount Gambier Hospital with independent MP Troy Bell (left) and they spoke to patient Carmel Phelan, 79. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Mr Bell added it was great to see local projects not left to the backburner.

“I expected to see 2025, 2026, 2027, but you look at it - most of the spending is 2023, that’s (next) financial year,” he said.

Mount Gambier Chamber of Commerce president Hayley Neumann was cautiously optimistic about the state government’s willingness to engage with the Limestone Coast.

“Considering the last budget, we seem to be overlooked — they’ve definitely made an effort to make sure the regions are recognised,” she said.

However, Ms Neumann wanted to see how the $100m economic recovery fund would be distributed before saying if the government was finally “seeing past the tollgate”.

The ALP-led state government will be in Mount Gambier on Wednesday to hold its first Country Cabinet.

Mr Bell said Premier Peter Malinauskas, who visited Mount Gambier on his second day in office, continued to show his government was actively engaging with voices outside of Adelaide.

Mr Malinauskas visiting Mount Gambier and Troy Bell less than 72 hours after being sworn in. Picture: Arj Ganesan

Ms Neumann echoed Mr Bell’s comments noting the stark difference between the former government.

“The previous government didn’t visit us very much at all,” she said.

“So when the ministry comes down and actually listens to us and visits our region, they can see first hand and hear first hand what is happening,” she said.

Mr Bell said he still believed the government should reinvest the $35m it set aside to build a new technical college and fund further improvements at Mount Gambier TAFE SA campus.

“It would still be a technical college but located at TAFE so that you create a training precinct,” he said.

“I firmly believe that is the best location for our community.”

“We don’t need a cookie cutter style approach — we need something that’s going to work.”