Appropriation Bill 2026
The Hon. H.J. GUMBYS (15:48): I rise in support of the Appropriation Bill 2026. The budget does more than fund the machinery of government for another year, it expresses a vision of the future and sets out the practical choices required to bring that future within reach. It asks whether our children will have access to a high-quality education, whether young people can build secure careers, whether patients can receive care when they need it, and whether growing communities have the infrastructure to support their ambitions.
These questions carry particular importance across the Adelaide Hills and the Murraylands. Mount Barker is one of South Australia's fastest growing communities, while Murray Bridge continues to strengthen its role as a centre for regional industry, services and employment. That growth presents significant opportunities but those opportunities must be supported by deliberate investment. Prosperity is created when education, skills, infrastructure and essential services advance together. This budget brings those elements together and invests in the capital of regional communities to shape their own futures.
From the 2027 school year, public education will be free for every South Australian child. Removing materials and services charges will save families an average of more than $8,000 for each child across 13 years of schooling. For families raising two or three children, that represents substantial and lasting cost-of-living relief. The measures also affirm a principle at the heart of public education: every child should have the opportunity to learn, develop their talents and pursue their ambitions, regardless of their family's income or postcode. That commitment is accompanied by major investment in the places where education occurs.
The budget provides an additional $87 million for the redevelopment of Mount Barker High School, bringing the government's total commitment to $96 million. The redevelopment will improve classrooms, workshops, food and technology facilities and outdoor sporting areas. It will give teachers better environments in which to teach, and students more spaces in which to learn, create and discover their abilities.
For students in the Murraylands, the budget provides $54.5 million over four years to establish a new technical college in Murray Bridge. The college will allow students to work towards their South Australian Certificate of Education while developing practical skills connected to apprenticeships and genuine employment opportunities. Young people are more likely to imagine a future for themselves when they can see where their education may lead. Delivering technical college education within the region will allow students to develop valuable skills while remaining connected to their families, communities, and prospective employers.
My own background has given me a deep respect for vocational education and the dignity of skilled work. A trade demands discipline, intelligence, precision and judgement. Tradespeople turn ideas into homes, schools, hospitals, businesses and infrastructure upon which every community depends. For generations, trades have given South Australians secure employment, economic independence and a pride that comes from mastering a skill and producing a body of work that you can be proud of at the end of your shift. Skilled trades will be equally important to the next stage of our state's development.
The budget recognises this through a $25.5 million investment in the new multitrade vocational training workshops at the TAFE SA Mount Barker campus. The workshops will expand local training in electrical trades, plumbing and carpentry, with a capacity for up to 1,200 additional apprentices. It will also reduce the distance that apprentices from the Hills and surrounding regional communities must travel to undertake their training.
A further $29.5 million will create 1,000 new pathways into the construction workforce through apprentice training, scholarships and partnerships with industry. South Australia's ambitions for housing, infrastructure, manufacturing and regional development all depend upon skilled people. Investment in technical education and apprenticeships gives young people the means to build rewarding lives and give our state the workforce required to turn its ambition into reality.
Opportunity must also be supported by reliable infrastructure. This budget provides $80 million over five years to upgrade the intersection of Adelaide Road and Hawthorn Road in Mount Barker. The project will deliver improved signalling, additional turning lanes and the widening of the intersection and Adelaide Road. A further $90 million will support safety works along the South Eastern Freeway, including the replacement of retaining walls and the stabilisation of slopes. This brings the total investment in the broader freeway upgrade program to $440 million.
For Murray Bridge, the budget delivers a significant improvement to public transport. An investment of $7.9 million over four years will extend the Metrocard zone to Murray Bridge, reducing fares for residents travelling locally and to Adelaide. A further $6.6 million over two years will increase the frequency of services between Murray Bridge, Mount Barker and Adelaide. This will provide more weekday and weekend services, as well as greater capacity on local town buses. For people who rely on public transport to reach employment, education, health care or family, affordability and frequency determine whether a service is genuinely accessible.
These improvements will provide Murray Bridge residents with stronger connections within their community and across the region. They also demonstrate the value of sustained local advocacy. I would like to acknowledge the Mayor of the Mid Murray Council, Simone Bailey, who has consistently advocated for better services, stronger infrastructure and greater opportunities across the Murraylands. Her understanding of the practical challenges facing regional communities have helped keep these priorities firmly before the government.
The budget also provides $8.4 million over four years to expand eligibility of the Seniors Card. From 1 July 2026, every South Australian aged 60 or over, along with Aboriginal South Australians aged 50 or over, has been eligible for the card. Eligible cardholders will receive free Adelaide Metro public transport at any time of day, as well as access to a wider range of concessions and discounts. Affordable transport supports independence, social connection and continued participation in community life.
The budget also strengthens regional health care. A $15 million investment in the Murray Bridge Soldiers' Memorial Hospital will support the redevelopment of its maternity ward and birthing unit, increasing capacity from six beds to eight. It will also deliver a purpose-built renal unit and increase treatment capacity from four chairs to six. A further $5.6 million will establish a dedicated ambulance transfer team in Murray Bridge, reducing pressure on emergency crews and helping preserve local emergency and volunteer capacity. Mount Barker will receive one of three new 24-hour pharmacies funded through a $13.2 million statewide investment. This will give Hills residents access to medicines and professional advice at any hour, while easing pressure on hospitals and general practitioners.
For regional South Australians required to travel for specialist treatment, the budget provides $16 million to expand the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme. The nightly accommodation subsidy will increase from $44 to $110 for an eligible patient, and from $88 to $154 when an approved support person travels with them. Eligible patients travelling at least 300 kilometres in a week for renal or oncology treatment will also gain access to a cumulative travel subsidy. These measures recognise that, for regional patients, the cost of health care often includes the cost of reaching it.
The government will also invest $5 million over two years to undertake planning for new police stations in Mount Barker and Murray Bridge. As these communities grow, early and careful planning for their future safety and service requirements is essential.
The strength of this budget lies in the way its investments reinforce one another. Free public education gives every child a strong beginning. Modern schools create spaces in which talent and ambition can develop. Technical education, TAFE and apprenticeships transform that ambition into expertise. Roads and public transport connect people with opportunity, while accessible health and emergency services give communities security and confidence. This is how regional growth becomes shared prosperity. It begins with recognising that a strong state cannot be built from its centre alone. It requires regional communities to be heard, supported and equipped to contribute their knowledge, labour, enterprise and ambition.
The success of this budget will ultimately be measured in people's lives. It will be seen in the student who discovers a talent in a modern workshop, the apprentice who can train close to home, the older South Australian who remains connected to their community and the patient who can receive essential care within their own region. It will be seen in families who can build their futures in their communities, supported by the schools, services, transport and infrastructure they need. Those outcomes are the foundation of enduring prosperity. They represent progress that is practical, inclusive and shared across generations. For those reasons, I commend this bill to the chamber.