Many “big ticket” Upper Hunter items were expected to gain funding from the state government on Tuesday, however a number of them missed out completely.

While there is $38m to continue work on the Scone bypass, only $5.7m will go towards additional planning for similar detours at Singleton and Muswellbrook.

Stage 3 of the Muswellbrook District Hospital redevelopment was overlooked altogether.

However, the budget included $6.3m for a war-plane tourist centre at the Scone Regional Airport.

Mr Rush, who is also the Country Labor Upper Hunter candidate, admitted it was a frustrating outcome for the town.

“The community will be disappointed Stage 3 [of the Muswellbrook District Hospital redevelopment] has not been funded,” he said.

“It is a critical project to enable the Stage 2 work to be useful – given that Stage 2 is well underway.

“There was a small portion [of money] for Scott Memorial Hospital in Scone.

“Local residents will again be disappointed the Nationals and Michael Johnsen have failed on their vow to start ‘actual construction’ on a Muswellbrook bypass – and allocated virtually nothing of the $68m they promised at the last election.

“All we received was more money for more planning.”

Mr Rush believed Singleton citizens would be aggrieved, too. 

“The community will be disappointed that despite a promise from the Nationals and Michael Johnsen to commence ‘actual construction’ and allocate $93m to the town’s bypass, nothing like that sum has been assigned,” he added.

“Singleton rightly feels it is missing out.

“The residents are tired of Singleton’s funds propping up the NSW Budget, with $200m of its coal royalties filling the state coffers, but funding, again, a whole lot of projects in Sydney.”

Shooters Fishers and Farmers Upper Hunter candidate John Preston also took aim at the upshot.

He criticised the budget, saying its proof the electorate needs change, describing it as a “super-sized snub to the Upper Hunter, particularly on roads and infrastructure”.

“This budget proves that the Nationals Party simply cannot deliver,” he said.

“Four budgets have been passed down and once again the people of the Hunter suffer under the heavy burden of poor schools, low life expectancy from poor health and carnage on our roads.

“Yet once again, the needs of Sydney have been prioritised over those in regional and rural areas of the state.

“Stadiums, freeways, metro projects are just some of the unnecessary expenditure for a city that feasts while we starve.”