The state government should have rearranged its budget priorities to make sure the Hunter is better protected from floods, Cessnock resident Skye Price says.
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The mother of two, who works at Beresfield, was reacting after she learnt what the budget would yield for the Hunter.
In its 2015-16 budget, the government earmarked $5 million to repair and maintain levees, control banks, spillways, floodgates and drainage canals that protect 3000 buildings and 18,000 hectares of farm land in the Hunter.
But, given the impact of the April superstorm, Ms Price said more money could have been used for flood mitigation if the government spent less than the $19.5 million it had allocated to continue construction of the New England Highway overpass at Maitland.
“I was a victim of that flood,” she said.
“More should be put towards restoring everything that was damaged during the flood.
“I lost a lot of things and so did my family and they are not getting much help.
“It would be better spent preventing [the flood] from happening again.”