Budget 2016: How it affects regional Australia

Here's how the 2016 federal budget impacts on regional Australia:

ILLAWARRA: Businesses and young job seekers have been extended a helping hand in this year's federal budget, but loose change was all that was given to some of the region's infrastructure projects.

People in the Illawarra, though, might have thought it was just like any other recent budget after region-specific infrastructure projects desperate for a federal funding injection were, once again, left short-changed in the budget. Read the specifics here

NEWCASTLE: The federal budget has allocated $2.2 million to further compensate fishers whose waterways have been closed by the Williamtown RAAF base PFOS contamination scandal. Read on

Hunter River fishermen have scorned a funding package included in this weeks federal budget designed to help them rebuild their lives if local waterways remain closed due to the Williamtown RAAF base contamination scandal. Full story here.

Whats in it for the Hunter? Ian Kirkwood reports.

WAGGA WAGGA: A commitment to inland rail will turbocharge" Waggas biggest investment in decades, the Bomen freight hub.

The government stumped up $594 million on Tuesday night to purchase the land for a 1700 kilometre freight line from Brisbane to Melbourne, stopping at Wagga. Read on here.

A Wagga family business is considering hiring extra staff or buying new equipment on the back of the governments tax cuts. More here.

Wagga retiree Barry Williams feels snubbed after Tuesdays federal budget, which he claims ignored regional pensioners and low-income earners. Read on here.

Wagga student Lyndal Jennings was elated to finally tuck away fears her teaching degree could cost her around $100,000, but her concerns have not yet been silenced. Full story here.

A Tatton family has celebrated an eased burden after the middle income tax bracket was raised from $80,000 to $87,000, but they feel for locals who sit on the lower-end of the pay-scale. Read more here.

Wagga smokers will be slugged by a tobacco tax surge which will see a packet of 25 cigarettes cost more than $40 by 2020, up from around $25 today. More here.

Riverina farmers were not spared the "disastrous impact" of the looming backpacker tax in Tuesdays budget. Full story here.

BATHURST: Just 17 per cent of Bathurst residents will benefit from tax cuts announced in Tuesday night's federal budget, says Labor candidate for Calare Jess Jennings. Read on here.

SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS: The Southern Highland News team took to the streets to ask Highlanders what their reaction was to the budget announcement. Find out what they said here.

BALLARAT: Federal Labor member for Ballarat Catherine King has labelled the federal governments 2016 budget a disappointment for Ballarat. Read on

Ballarat residents will be among the hardest hit by an increase in the tax on tobacco with federal government confirming a packet of cigarettes could rise to $40. Read on

Federal Treasurer Scott Morrisons continuation of company tax cut policies and supporting asset purchases has proved popular with Ballarat businesses. Read on

BENDIGO: The federal member for Bendigo has characterised the Turnbull governments budget as placing the interests of big business over battlers. Read on

WIMMERA: Stawell Biz president Chris Waack has welcomed small business tax cuts announced in Tuesday nights federal budget. Full story here.

The River Murray will continue to benefit from federal spending over the next few years, but no new programs were announced in the budget. Read more here.

MURRAY BRIDGE: In Murray Bridge, where the unemployment rate is five per cent higher than South Australia's average, a new federal program should make a big difference. Read more here.

The federal budget contained few pre-election sweeteners for Tasmania.

Tasmania's struggling health system will receive some relief, with several packages to assist better patient outcomes.

But notably absent was funding for the University of Tasmania's proposal to move its Launceston and Burnie campuses to Inveresk and West Park, and funding for the Cradle Mountain Master Plan. Read more here

NORTH-WEST: The 2016 federal budget meets community expectations that the government should not spend more than it earns, Braddon MHR Brett Whiteley says. Read more here.

REDLANDS: Bowman MP Andrew Laming wants Redlands businesses to give local kids a job after a budget boost for unemployed youth. His long term target is for 880 young and vulnerable locals to get a job after trials for the scheme in the Redlands. More here.

Labors Bowman candidate Kim Richards has attacked the federal budget, saying it shows a marked difference between the Labor and Liberal parties, with poorer people to be hammered. Full story here.

JIMBOOMBA: Smokers were none too impressed with the federal budget pushing up the cost of cigarettes but few would change their vote because of the move. Read on here.

The nightmare Mt Lindesay Highway has missed out on federal budget funding as has the Pacific and Gateway motorways merge, which causes Gold Coast-bound traffic to grind to a halt. Full story here.

Different groups from the agriculture sector have weighed in on the 2016 Federal Budget, including Australian Food and Grocery Council CEO Gary Dawson who said:

The government should also be commended on its support for regional and rural Australia, particularly its commitment to building the Melbourne to Brisbane inland rail and ongoing investment on key road infrastructure. Read more here.