The budget, announced last week, includes a $9.1 billion investment in regional infrastructure and $4.2 billion through Royalties for Regions. Other allocations cover ongoing support for services across regional WA, including $463 million for regional school bus services.

A major part of the agricultural allocation is $200 million to improve agricultural supply chains by upgrading WA's freight transport network, including $22 million for grain freight upgrades at Moora, Brookton, Broomehill and Cranbrook.

Efforts have also been directed to revitalise WA's TAFE and training sector, with a $198 million investment per annum in regional WA over the next four years, including:

* Continuing the lower fees, local skills program, which has seen a 22 per cent increase in enrolments in the Wheatbelt in 2021;
* Delivering $9.1 million at Muresk Institute for a specialist centre for agricultural mechanisation, plus a new industry standard shearing shed;
* Delivering $2 million for Central Regional TAFE's Northam campus for an upgraded workshop;
* $25 million to WA TAFEs for new state-of-the-art equipment;
* $29.8 million to provide 8000 additional VET places in schools across WA, on top of an additional 1350 VET places introduced in 2021;

Economic development allocations include $19.8 million to make air travel for regional residents more affordable, $10.1 million towards the Processed Oats Industry Growth Partnership, which aims to double the value of the oat grain industry in WA over the next 20 years and $15 million for the Agriculture Climate Resilience Fund.

For more information, visit https://www.ourstatebudget.wa.gov.au