State government keeps its promises to the Murraylands in 2026-27 budget
Before this year’s election, the Labor Party promised $100 million worth of funding for public transport, the Murray Bridge hospital and more. Here’s what has made the cut.
This story is now free to read. Help Murray Bridge News tell more stories like this by subscribing today.
The state government will begin making good on its election promises to the Murraylands over the next year after presenting its 2026-27 budget on Thursday.
Of $100 million worth of promises the Labor Party made to the electorate of Hammond in March, virtually all are now officially on the state’s books:
- $54.5 million for a new technical college to be built alongside Murray Bridge High School by the end of 2029
- $15.1 million to extend Adelaide Metro bus services to Murray Bridge within the next 12 months, and to increase the frequency of those services from 2028-29
- $15 million to build new birthing suites and a bigger maternity ward and dialysis unit at the Murray Bridge hospital by June 2030
- $8.6 million for new classrooms, learning spaces and a studio workshop at Fraser Park Primary School, on top of $10 million worth of upgrades previously announced which are due to be finished by September 2028
- $5.6 million for an ambulance transfer team to be established in Murray Bridge within the next year, freeing up paramedics to respond to emergencies more quickly
- $5 million for two years of planning work on new police stations in Murray Bridge and Mount Barker; final construction costs will be budgeted at a later date
“You’ve got to honour election commitments,” Premier Peter Malinauskas said.
“The treasurer and the whole team from (the Department of Treasury and Finance) have been working around the clock to put all this together in only a few short weeks after the election, a most amazing effort.
“It’s an important statement about … what this government wants to do and achieve.”
Mr Malinauskas had declared before the election that the funding promised to the Murraylands would arrive regardless of whether Labor won the electorate of Hammond.
In the end, candidate Simone Bailey finished second to new One Nation MP Robert Roylance, who said a big part of his job would be keeping the government accountable for its promises.
Mentions of Murray Bridge were scattered throughout the documents given to journalists at Thursday’s traditional budget lock-up in Adelaide – a far cry from the years when the region was stuck in a “safe” electorate, and before the current wave of population growth.
Among the other measures in the budget which may affect the Murraylands were the establishment of new Out of School Hours Services at 57 regional public schools; construction of more affordable homes in regional areas; upgrades to regional Housing Trust homes; and post-flood repairs to roads along the River Murray.
Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister Clare Scriven said investments in SA’s regions were an investment in SA’s future.
“This budget renews our commitment to primary industries and regional communities in our state, because they are the key drivers of our economy,” she said in a statement.
“We are delivering more than $1 billion in new funding.
“(The state government) is investing in all of South Australia, not just Adelaide.”
