The $3.2 million promised 17 months ago as initial funding to plan for the Albury-Wodonga Regional Deal was on Tuesday night moved forward into the 2020-21 budget, with no further money allocated for the future.
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The federal government's budget, handed down by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, now promises to spend the money in the next 12 months.
It did not commit extra funding for after 2021, only saying "the Australian government will provide funding to support an Albury Wodonga Regional Deal".
Senator Bridget McKenzie, who announced the deal in March 2019, said on Tuesday night the delay was due to a statement of intent only being signed by the federal, Victorian and NSW governments, and Albury and Wodonga councils, in July 2020.
"I'm not at all concerned about that being swapped to the 2021-21 budget, because in reality, we haven't spent the money yet," she said.
"The work hasn't been done because the signing got put off for so long."
Indi MP Helen Haines also said she was confident the regional deal would go ahead.
MORE BUDGET COVERAGE:
While Senator McKenzie said "this is a budget about regions leading the recovery", Dr Haines was less enthusiastic.
"I was disappointed to see that there was no real change or improvements around access to childcare. I think many young families would be hoping for a bit more," Dr Haines said.
"There was nothing there to indicate we're going to get a federal integrity commission from the government ... that doesn't look like it's coming any time soon."
Dr Haines praised the government announcements for subsidised apprenticeships and traineeships, the 100 per cent tax write-off for small business purchases, and the 23,000 extra aged care packages announced, but said she would have liked to see even more.
"The other thing that I would have liked to have seen was a vision for a really strong rural and regional Australia," she said.
"What I saw was quite a lot of roads and bridge infrastructure, but no real vision for the regions. I think that's a lost opportunity."
Dr Haines will release a survey online on Wednesday, asking for feedback from Indi residents to contribute to her speech that will be made in Parliament in reply to the budget.
"While money for dams, bridges and roads is always welcome, that is business as usual," she said.
"We are in a moment of unique economic crisis and enormous opportunity for the regions, but this budget has fumbled that opportunity.
"There is no funding to implement the recommendations of the Regions at the Ready report, there is no funding to support regional communities to access the benefits of locally-owned renewables, there is no new funding for bushfire recovery, there is no dedicated regional jobs program, there is scant progress on the regional deals."
The big announcements for Indi and Farrer, including money for Greater Hume roads and the Hume Freeway, were made earlier in the week.
Senator Bridget McKenzie said the budget would help get people into jobs in construction, agriculture manufacturing and other fields.
"Now that we're actually starting to open up, it's about getting people back to work," she said.
"We want to see people being employed because that's actually going to drive the economy going forward."
Farrer MP Sussan Ley was also positive about the 2020-21 budget.
"This is a budget for its time and the plan we need right now to emerge post-COVID," she said.
"It is supporting people into jobs now and creating opportunities for new growth in areas of need.
"And, yet again, regional Australia is always an important part of the Coalition government's path forward."