Tamworth Business Chamber president Matthew Sweeney left unimpressed by federal budget 2023-24

Tuesday's federal budget aims to ease immediate pressures and boost resilience for small business.

It offers to provide bill relief, energy incentives providing tax relief, investing in skills and training, supporting apprentices, and developing a migration strategy.

The government will deliver skilled migrants by increasing the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold to $70,000, among other plans.

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The current threshold of $53,900 will be raised from July 1, 2023, to reflect the level it would have reached if it was indexed to wages when last adjusted a decade ago, the budget papers read.

Mr Sweeney said the steps involved are "prohibitive" and costly, "to get one individual who may actually turn out to be useless anyway".

"They've made it more available, but it's not a cheap exercise," he said.

The budget increasing Jobseeker by $40 a fortnight will only raise the incentive not to work, he said.

Businesses in the region are capable of growing up to 30 per cent bigger if not for labour and housing shortages, Business NSW acting New England North West regional director Paula Martin said.

The organisation is looking forward to unpacking the commitment to encourage new developments for affordable housing.

"There are towns right across New England Northwest that are in desperate need for affordable housing, and that will assist with attracting new people," she said.

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