1. Delivering essential services

Supporting our primary industries

Biosecurity is a vital safeguard for the livelihood of regional and rural communities across New South Wales. The Government plays a central role fighting the threats posed by pests, diseases, weeds and contaminants to safeguard agricultural businesses. The 2025-26 Budget invests:

• $100.0 million to sustain critical biosecurity functions to mitigate risks to communities, primary industries and the environment
• $41.2 million to enhance and modernise primary industries research and development capabilities at priority research stations across the State, building on an existing $59.6 million to deliver upgrades to regional research facilities and emergency response sites
• $9.3 million to continue the Feral Pig and Pest Control Program targeting pigs and deer to protect the State’s agricultural productivity and mitigate environmental and economic risks
• $1.4 million to support the preparedness and national response capabilities in the event of an outbreak of high pathogenicity avian influenza, bringing the total allocation to $2.2 million, delivered in partnership with the Australian Government.

The Budget also invests $17.6 million for facility and asset upgrades, to address safety risks and enable delivery of key landholder and land management services, funded from the Local Land Services Future Fund.

Managing feral pigs and pest animals

Feral pigs and pest animals are invasive species that can have devastating impacts on agricultural production, leading to significant economic losses.

These animals cause damage to crops, pastures, waterholes and fencing. They can prey on livestock, introduce disease and parasites, and cause significant soil disruption and environmental damage.

The Government continues to implement the Feral Pig and Pest Control Program, reflecting its ongoing commitment to reduce population numbers, and their impact on the environment and the State’s agricultural sector.

Over the past two years more than 212,000 feral pigs and 18,000 feral deer have been controlled through broadscale aerial and ground programs.

Local biosecurity officers continue to work with landholders to equip them to manage pest animals into the future, supported through education and training events, and free Vertebrate Pesticide Induction Training courses.

As part of the 2025-26 Budget, the Government is committing a further $9.3 million to continue this program, as forecast drier weather presents an opportunity to suppress pest animal population growth.

Investigating in disaster response and recovery

Regional communities have been hard hit by natural disasters in recent years. The May 2025 floods in the Mid North Coast brought these challenges into sharp focus.

In the six years since the unprecedented 2019-20 bushfires, the NSW and Australian Governments have spent $9.5 billion providing disaster relief and recovery across the State. That averages $1.6 billion per year – more than a 1,000 per cent increase compared to $154.0 million per year on average in the prior six years.

This Budget outlines a further $4.2 billion of disaster relief over the forward estimates, a figure that is likely to increase in response to both previous and potentially new natural disasters. Including Australian Government co-contributions, this includes:

• $2.3 billion for restoration works to repair local and state roads damaged in major flood events, including in the Hunter and Northern Rivers
• $1.6 billion for other disaster relief and recovery programs funded through the Disaster Relief Account administered by the NSW Reconstruction Authority
• $63.2 million for the Resilient Lands Program to unlock new home and land options in safe locations in the Northern Rivers and to support relocations
• $27.0 million over three years for repair and restoration of water and sewer infrastructure in the Central West, damaged by severe weather and flooding in 2022.

The $4.2 billion investment includes the following assistance measures in response to recent major disasters:

• $358.3 million over four years, including Australian Government co-contributions, for disaster recovery and relief measures in response to the May 2025 East Coast floods. This includes $56.6 million in immediate assistance in 2024-25
• $154.5 million over three years, including Australian Government co-contributions, for disaster recovery and relief measures in response to Tropical Cyclone Alfred. This includes $125.5 million in immediate assistance in 2024-25.

Improving community safety

The Government is committed to investing in measures to support community safety and wellbeing in regional and rural New South Wales.

The 2025-26 Budget provides additional investments to maintain emergency services capability to ensure they remain equipped to keep communities safe and respond to emergencies. This includes:

• $35.9 million for Fire and Rescue NSW to maintain critical fire, rescue and hazardous materials response services
• $17.0 million for additional Fire and Rescue NSW firefighting appliances. This will enhance operational flexibility and support response, including in the regions
• investments in the NSW Rural Fire Service and the NSW Police Force to support ongoing aerial capability across firefighting, law enforcement and emergency operations.

To ensure regional communities receive early warnings and to help people make informed decisions during events such as flooding, fires and storms, the Budget also provides $6.4 million to extend the Emergency Alert System.

As part of the broader regional crime response, the Budget also includes $5.1 million in 2025-26 as part of the $20.8 million commitment for the NSW Police Force to deliver Youth Action Meetings. These focus on young people who are persistent offenders, or who would benefit from early intervention and diversion. Youth Action Meeting Coordinators operate across regional and rural communities, including in local Police Districts across all regions in New South Wales.

Protecting our environment

Regional and rural New South Wales is home to many unique plant and animal species. Protecting the environment is a priority for this Government. The 2025-26 Budget includes:

• $41.4 million for national park projects to reduce vulnerability to future natural disasters
• $16.7 million in 2025-26 to support the establishment of an Office of Animal Welfare, and to support the animal welfare compliance and enforcement functions of approved charitable organisations
• $3.1 million over two years for local initiatives that will drive improved environmental and First Nations heritage outcomes in regional areas.

Secure water

This Budget builds on the Government’s commitment to ensuring a secure, reliable and high-quality water supply for regional and rural New South Wales communities. This includes:

• $319.1 million for the Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism Program to improve river health and increase the amount of water returned to the environment
• $255.6 million for the Murray and Murrumbidgee River Constraints Program to increase the frequency and extent that rivers connect to wetlands and floodplains in the Murrumbidgee and Murray River systems
• $18.7 million to deliver the Pindari Dam Cold-Water Pollution and Fish Friendly Water Extraction projects under the federal Northern Basin Toolkit, fully funded by the Australian Government
• $15.0 million over three years to continue the Town Water Risk Reduction Program into Phase Three.

To support flood mitigation activities, the Budget invests $82.1 million over four years towards the Hunter Valley Flood Mitigation Scheme Repairs and Rebuilding project.

Empowering First Nations communities

Regional and rural New South Wales is home to many First Nations people and holds significant cultural, historical and spiritual importance. The 2025-26 Budget includes a record $731.8 million to support First Nations communities and build upon previous spend to improve outcomes.

The total Closing the Gap package is now $246.8 million. This Budget includes a significant further investment in Closing the Gap, with $202.4 million of new funding, including for regional and rural First Nations communities.

This investment includes:

• $23.8 million to revitalise First Nations languages through investment in community-led language programs across New South Wales
• $19.9 million for culturally responsive community-led suicide prevention initiatives across regional New South Wales
• $12.1 million for the Aboriginal Employment Program to enable First Nations people to practise sustainable natural resource management in the care of flora, fauna and biodiversity
• $6.2 million for the Community Connectors initiative to support First Nations high school students to overcome barriers to education and access culturally appropriate services across 17 schools in regional New South Wales
• $5.6 million for Aboriginal Language and Culture Nests to enhance education outcomes in regional schools by supporting cultural preservation, student engagement and employment pathways for First Nations educators
• $5.5 million for Regional Operations Model hubs to provide place-based mentorship for First Nations students and support their transition from school to further education, training and employment.

Relieving cost-of-living pressures

Cost-of-living pressures remain a challenge for households across New South Wales, including regional communities. In 2025-26, the Government will assist households, including in the regions, with cost-of-living pressures through dozens of measures such as:

• energy rebates and concessions to families, pensioners, low-income households and other households across the State. This is in addition to the Australian Government’s $150 Energy Bill Relief payment
• water rebates to eligible pensioners and others experiencing financial hardship, to maintain access to water and wastewater services in the Hunter Valley and Far West
• providing financial assistance towards travel and accommodation costs when a patient needs to travel long distances for treatment that is not available locally through the Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme
• the Vocational Training Assistance Scheme travel and accommodation allowance for apprentices or new entrant trainees who have to travel more than 120 km round trip to attend day or block-release training
• free parking at rural and regional public hospitals
• free entry to national parks for pension and veteran cardholders.