Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham

The 2021-22 Budget sets out the next stage of the Morrison Government’s plan to secure Australia’s recovery to create more jobs, rebuild our economy and ensure South Australia comes back stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic.

South Australian Cabinet Ministers Simon Birmingham and Anne Ruston said Australia had entered the crisis from a position of economic strength having brought the Budget back to balance for the first time in 11 years.

“This has provided us with the fiscal firepower in this Budget to continue to support South Australia with record funding for schools, hospitals, aged care, mental health and the NDIS,” Minister Ruston said.

As part of our ongoing COVID-19 response, the Morrison Government has now committed $291 billion or 14.7 per cent of GDP in direct economic support for Australians.

“We will deliver significant tax relief for 720,000 hardworking South Australians through an additional tax cut with low and middle income earners to benefit by up to $1,080 for individuals or $2,160 for couples,” Minister Birmingham said.

“This is more money to spend in local businesses, giving them the confidence to take on extra workers, offer an extra shift, or buy a new piece of equipment.”

To support further job creation we will extend temporary full expensing and the loss carry-back measure for another year allowing 260,000 South Australian businesses to deduct the full cost of eligible depreciable assets of any value in the year they are installed until 30 June 2023.

This Budget will further back the recovery of the South Australian economy and support job creation through:

• A further 163,000 new training places to upskill job seekers and meet skills shortages by expanding the JobTrainer Fund;
• A $50 per fortnight increase to 146,000 South Australians benefiting from JobSeeker and other income support payments;
• An additional 33,800 training places across Australia to enable existing and new care workers;
• Funding 170,000 new apprenticeships and traineeships, 5,000 higher education short courses; and
• An estimated $28.6 billion for SA in GST payments from 2021-22 to 2024-25.

We will also continue to guarantee the essential services South Australians rely on through:

• $17.7 billion in practical and targeted new funding to significantly improve our aged care system. This includes funding another 80 000 new home care packages, bringing the total of home care packages available to 275 000.
• Injecting an estimated $1.6 billion into South Australia’s health system in 2021-22;
• An extra $2.3 billion for mental health care and suicide prevention, including $12 million over three years from 2021-22 to establish an adult mental health centre in Adelaide;
• $5.1 million to provide further capital investment for renal services at the Southern Fleurieu Health Service; and
• $2 billion to fund preschools, with reforms to improve participation.

South Australian women will benefit from measures focussed on their health, safety and economic security, including improving the affordability of child care. Including:

• A further $1.1 billion in women’s safety, including $164.8 million for a two year trial program to provide financial support of up to $5000 to women leaving a violent relationship.
• A $353.9 million investment to support women’s health, including funding for cervical and breast cancer, endometriosis and reproductive health; and
• $1.7 billion across Australia to make childcare more affordable and lift women’s workforce participation above already record levels.

“In addition to the Morrison Government’s record $3.4 billion for women’s safety and economic security across the nation, SA will specifically benefit from a $14.3 million top up to women’s legal service providers,” Minister Ruston said.

South Australia will receive a record investment of $3.4 billion in new major infrastructure projects, community infrastructure and road safety projects, supporting more than 5,000 jobs. These include:

• $2.6 billion allocation of funding for the North-South Corridor – Darlington to Anzac Highway;
• $161.6 million for the Truro Bypass;
• $148 million for the Augusta Highway Duplication Stage 2;
• An additional $64 million for the Strzelecki Track Upgrade – Sealing;
• An additional $60 million for the Gawler Rail Line Electrification;
• $48 million for the Heysen Tunnel Refit and Upgrade – Stage 2
• An additional $27.6 million for the Overpass at Port Wakefield and Township Duplication;
• $32 million for the Kangaroo Island Road Safety and Bushfire Resilience Package;
• $22.5 million for the Marion Road and Sir Donald Bradman Drive Intersection Upgrade, and
• $6.0 million towards upgrades for the Netball South Australia Stadium.

To drive industry growth the Australian Space Agency will receive an additional $13.3 million, driving further innovation and job creation at Adelaide’s Lot 14.

Ongoing record investment in defence and defence capabilities is continuing to generate jobs for thousands of South Australians and we will continue to deliver new skills sets in the workforce and get local businesses ‘Defence Ready’ to not only build sovereign capability but global success.

“Tax cuts, business incentives, apprenticeship and training places, a pipeline of infrastructure and guaranteeing the essential services South Australians rely on will ensure we come back even stronger,” Minister Birmingham said.

For more information, visit the Budget website.