https://www.goulburnpost.com.au/story/5390689/federal-budget-trickles-do...

While there’s nothing specific in Tuesday’s federal budget for Goulburn Mulwaree, Hume MP Angus Taylor is standing by its broader measures as a boost for the regional economy.

Upper Lachlan and Goulburn Mulwaree will share in $1.5 million under Roads to Recovery funding. Both will also be able to tap into $200 million in the third round of the Building Better Regions Fund. A total $22.5m will also be available in the fourth round of the Stronger Communities Program.

Mr Taylor said Goulburn Mulwaree had been very successful in the past with Building Better Regions, scoring $10m for the Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade and $1m for the Performing Arts Centre.

“I’ll be working closely with the council to make sure we get more than our fair share of funding,” he said.

“We’re discussing a number of projects, like the aquatic centre and roads... One the council is keen to pursue is the (Goulburn to Crookwell) rail trail but we’ll see what’s best suited.”

He urged the Roads and Maritime Service to get on and spend $3m already allocated in this year’s federal budget for Lansdowne Bridge. Mr Taylor said he could well understand people’s frustration with time delays to date.

He argued the $400m allocation to duplicate the Port Botany rail line would also have direct benefits for the region.

“It will drive that push to get more freight off the road and on to rail and that’s always good for Goulburn,” Mr Taylor said.

On a broader front, the MP said tax relief for low and middle income earners would put more money in pockets from next year. For a person on an annual $75,000 salary, it would mean an extra $530.

The MP defended the strategy of giving tax breaks ahead of paying down the nation’s almost $350 billion debt. The government is using almost half of an extra $30 billion reaped from the economy’s growth to do so.

“We are paying it (the debt) out,” he said.

“The point is if we’re frugal, we can do both. The beauty of tax breaks for small business and individuals is that they then encourage people to invest, create more jobs and we get an extra dividend from that...We’re at a turning point..It’s the first time since the end of financial crisis that we’re actually seeing debt starting to fall.”

Asked whether the tax relief was an implicit acknowledgement that employers had not passed on business growth in the form of wages, Mr Taylor said he wouldn’t characterise it in this way.

He argued the 7.5 per cent jobs growth across the electorate in the past year was “unprecedented.” Employers had opted to invest in their business and employ more people but they were struggling to find enough.

“Of course we’d like to see employers passing it on in higher wages in time,” the MP said.

“We’re confident that will happen because that jobs growth is unsustainable and ultimately it will have to translate into higher incomes.”

Mr Taylor also spruiked extension of the small business instant asset write-off. It allows businesses that make capital investments of up to $20,000 to write off the amount as a tax break. It also applies to primary producers. He said the program had resulted in a surge in investment and a boost for service providers in Goulburn.