What this means, for example, for a shop assistant on $45,000 working at a local store is that they will have an extra $440 in their pocket from the budget year onwards, with an extra $3,380 in their pocket over the first seven years of the tax plan as the tax relief increases.

Local residents across the coast are already starting to respond to the budget news. Selwyn from North Gosford said to me, 'It took a while, but it was worth the result.' Trish from Umina Beach and Fred from Woy Woy both wrote to thank the government for our support for older Australians.