However, despite some funding allocated to Scone Hospital through the Rural Health Infrastructure Program, most of the projects for the Upper Hunter listed in the budget papers are those the government has previously committed to.

There will be $38 million allocated to continue work on the Scone Bypass, with a further $5.7 million to plan bypasses further down the Valley at Singleton and Muswellbrook.

The Scone Regional Airport also gets a mention, with $6.3 million allocated towards the construction of a Scone Aviation Visitor Attraction Centre.

Member for the Upper Hunter Michael Johnsen has welcomed the state government’s budget which he says includes $99 million in spending specific to the Upper Hunter.

“It covers areas across roads, health, education, social houses and community services and I think it’s a wonderful win for the Upper Hunter,” he said.

“Projects like upgrades to the Scone, Dungog and Gloucester Hospitals – we’ve got more social housing coming in, more community service funding coming in and more importantly right across the state, we have a 100,000 fee free apprenticeships.

“The Upper Hunter has great demand for more apprentices and I’m sure we will be able to benefit from that.”

Mr Johnsen also made mention to funding for early childhood education, with NSW being the first state in Australia to ensure access to two-years of education for all three-year-olds from 2019 onwards.

However with an election fast approaching, Shooter Fishers and Farmers Upper Hunter candidate John Preston has criticised the budget saying its proof the electorate needs change, describing it as a “supersized snub to the Upper Hunter, particularly on roads and infrastructure”.

 “This budget proves that the Nationals Party simply cannot deliver,” he said.

“Four budgets have been passed down and once again the people of the Hunter suffer under the heavy burden of poor schools, low life expectancy from poor health and carnage on our roads.

“Yet once again, the needs of Sydney have been prioritised over those in regional and rural areas of the state.

“Stadiums, freeways, metro projects are just some of the unnecessary expenditure for a city that feasts while we starve”. 

Down the Valley, Singleton and Muswellbrook have missed out on funding for many big ticket items, with a record $1.776 billion in coal mining royalties having played a big part in the budget bottom line.