Federal Budget 2022-23: Labor slashes Round 6 of the Building Better Regions Fund leaving infrastructure projects 'up in the air'

The budget spelled the end to Round 6 of the Building Better Regions Fund, which funded 50 per cent or more of eligible projects in regional councils between $5000 and $10 million.

New England MP Barnaby Joyce said the new round was set to fund the Homes North Armidale Community Services Hub, the Tamworth town pool Regional Lagoon Project and the Inverell Aquatic Centre replacement.

"We're not going to get the money because it's no longer there," he said.

"They say we will have a regional program. They've done this in the past and one of their regions was Parramatta.

"For me regions means cows standing in a paddock, wildlife that bounces across your roads and crops. Now I don't think you're going to see many of them around Parramatta."

Federal Labor instead committed $1 billion to regional infrastructure which will fund two major programs over a period of three years - the Growing Regions Program and the Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program.

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Building Better Regions financed half the cost of the $2.8 million Tamworth Tennis Centre Redevelopment, and $2.2 million in roadworks to do with the Tamworth Intermodal Activation Plan, among other projects in Tamworth and the region.

Tamworth mayor Russell Webb said it's disappointing news for regional NSW to see the fund slashed.

"If the applications we put in for BBRF can fit into the perimeters for the new funding programs we will be resubmitting applications," he said.

Member for Parkes Mark Coulton said the fund being axed is a "devastating loss for regional communities".

"This program injected more than $46 million into the Parkes electorate since it was established, funding projects that are making a real and tangible difference in many of our communities," he said.

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