Local MP Richard Torbay has welcomed the allocation of $124 million for the Northern Tablelands in the Costa budget.

Big ticket items include:

* $54 million for roads including bridge upgrades on Four Mile and St Helena creeks on Waterfall Way and Slaughterhouse Creek on Gwydir Highway. The New England Highway Sunnyside Realignment has been allocated $7.6 million.

* A total of $6.662 million in Health Service major works funding includes $2.819 million for the Bingara Hospital, $3.662 million for the Warialda Hospital, $89,000 for Guyra Health Service, $45,000 for Tingha Health Service and $48,000 for the Walcha Health Service.

* In Armidale $6.205 million will be spent on building new public housing units and asset improvement and $500,000 on completing three works in progress. A further $612,000 goes towards two public housing dwellings being built at Inverell.

* The Copeton Dam upgrade has received $643,000.

* Northern Tablelands Fire Brigades will receive $161,000 for major works.

* Planning for a new Armidale Court House has been allocated $780,000.

* The Department of Community Services will provide $336,000 to fund caseworker accommodation in the Tablelands.

* Funding of $263,000 will go towards Forest NSW softwood plantations in the region.

Mr Torbay said regional areas would benefit from cutting payroll tax from six per cent to 5.5 per cent in three stages, indexing the payroll tax threshold to inflation and planned abolition of stamp duty on non-land business assets.

“Increased funding for health, education and police is only keeping pace with inflation but it is pleasing to see an increase of 18 per cent funding for the SES and a seven per cent rise for ageing and disability services including more accommodation for people with disabilities,” he said. “I am expecting the Northern Tablelands to receive its fair share of the portfolio budget allocations when they are announced later in the year.”