Despite reporting a budget deficit of $11.3 billion for 2022-23, the government announced big spending items such as $2.8 billion towards addressing the housing crisis and $1.7 billion for pre-kindergarten education.

Wagga MP Joe McGirr said the the budget has an allocation for $18.5 million in social housing funding in the Wagga electorate, although he'll be seeking further details on what shape that may take.

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Mr McGirr said there are a number of positives in the budget, such as the focus on childcare, regional health and particularly housing.

"The shared equity scheme for people who aren't dual income, a commitment to increase social housing, a commitment to improving the approval processes and increased funding for homelessness ... I think that is a positive," he said.

"They are outlining action in a number of areas that suggests to me they understand the depth of this problem."

Budget housing promises

However, the lack of funding for regional roads was "a big disappointment", he said.

Mr McGirr said the government had taken note of its federal counterpart's recent failings and delivered a budget with one eye on the election in March.

"It's pretty clear from the federal election how the public felt about a number of issues," he said. "I think a lot of these initiatives are planned to roll out over a number of years ... we have to keep the government to account on delivering, the announcements are packaged in a way that makes them look impressive."

Wagga-based Nationals MLC Wes Fang said a new voucher program that will give parents help to pay for school supplies will ease cost of living pressures for many families. Parents will get a $150 subsidy for each child who attends a primary or secondary school in 2023.

But the $1.7 billion going towards introducing universal pre-kindergarten is a game changer for education in NSW, he said.

"This is a once in a generation change ... that ability for children to have exposure to education before the kindergarten years ... it's a dramatic shift in the way we provide education to children," he said.

Mr Fang said the budget is "steady as she goes" for the Riverina-Murray area, but inclusion of Leeton in a new primary education upgrade program will be "really exciting" for the region.

"It's going to be transformative, instead of, from afar, forcing an upgrade on a school, what's unique about this program is it's going to be done in conjunction with the community and the schools themselves," he said.

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