Budget to support our regions

The Malinauskas Labor Government is investing $1.8 billion in new measures to support regional South Australia.

This considerable funding commitment will support farmers and increase biosecurity measures to protect primary production.

There’s new money to deliver safer roads, support emergency services, protect the environment and help regional communities grow:

Primary Industries

• $45 million in 2025-26 to continue emergency fruit fly response activities following further outbreaks, assisting in protecting South Australia’s pest free status and providing market access continuity for the state’s horticulture products.
• $44 million over four years for the purchase of a replacement coastal research vessel, delivered in conjunction with the Commonwealth Government.
• $11.8 million over five years for biosecurity response measures

Roads

• $125 million of $656 million to deliver upgrades of the High Productivity Vehicle Network to in partnership with the Commonwealth Government on an 80:20 basis.
• $80 million over five years to deliver critical safety improvement works along Main South Road between Myponga and Yankalilla funded in partnership with the Commonwealth Government
• $10 million over two years to deliver additional road safety maintenance across regional South Australia.
• $7.5 million over three years towards regional road safety infrastructure upgrades

Environment

• $109.7 million over four years to support River Murray environmental flows in partnership with the Commonwealth Government.
• $17 million over three years to improve wetland habitat across the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth funded by the Commonwealth.

Health

• $45 million over three years to support the delivery of the new Mount Barker Hospital, which will provide 102 beds
• $8 million over three years to support aged care infrastructure upgrades at Charla Lodge Bordertown Memorial Hospital.

Police and Emergency Services

• $29.6 million over three years for the expansion of the successful Police Security Officer model into regional areas.
• $11.1 million for the extension of CFS aerial firefighting aircraft availability in line with bushfire risk and costs associated with significant fire events.
• $5.9 million over four years to improve training for CFS volunteers responding to structure fires.

These measures are in addition to the $73.4 million State Government package to support drought affected farmers. This includes $55.4 million in drought support measures provided in the 2025-26 budget such as:

• $17.3 million for future drought preparedness and resilience programs
• $13 million for grants to primary producers to implement infrastructure projects that assist in managing drought conditions, as part of the On-Farm Drought Infrastructure Rebate scheme
• $4.5 million for rebates on the cost of electronic identification tags for farmed sheep and goats, as part of stage 2 of the program
• $4 million for an additional contribution towards the freight costs of charitable organisations that are delivering donated fodder to primary producers
• $3.1 million for support towards the management of pests on rural properties, including deer, rabbits and kangaroos
• $2.5 million for essential, on-the-ground mental health resources and support for individuals and communities affected by the current drought

The Malinauskas Government has also contributed $650 million to the Federal Government’s $2.4 billion package to save the steelworks in Whyalla and support the people impacted in the Upper Spencer Gulf.