A spokesperson for Treasurer Dominic Perrottet confirmed it was the first time that Newcastle had been left out of the regional analysis. He confirmed the same had happened to Wollongong, because the government regarded both cities as "metropolitan" rather than regional.

Ironically, it meant that spending commitments were collated and readily available for the rest of the state, divided into nine regions, but not the two commercial powerhouses of regional NSW.

To add insult to injury, while Newcastle and Wollongong were left out of the regional NSW analysis, Western Sydney was given its own "overview" booklet, outlining the government's spending commitment to this fast growing and politically important part of the state.

The decision to effectively downgrade Newcastle and Wollongong also comes after Premier Gladys Berejiklian promised on a recent trip to Newcastle to continue spending in the region because it was "the right thing to do".

RELATED: Hit and miss for Newcastle, Hunter as state budget puts key transport projects in pipeline (June 19, 2018)

It also follows a move by Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes - adopted the night it was introduced as a lord mayoral minute - to have Newcastle recognised as a metropolitan area.

The Treasurer's spokesperson said Newcastle had been recognised as a metropolitan region for funding purposes since the government's "Restart" funding programs began when the Coalition took power in 2011.

This would appear to lock Newcastle - and Lake Macquarie - from receiving "regional" grant money, but this has not always been the case under the Coalition, with the budget papers noting that Newcastle is eligible for funding under the Hunter Infrastructure and Investment Fund, which was also set up in 2011.

( Wollongong funding is similarly available through the corresponding Illawarra Infrastructure Fund.)

The budget papers say $75 million in funding is "committed" through the HIFF fund with another $25 million in the less certain category of "reserved", meaning more planning work is needed before funds can be "committed".

A government spokesperson also confirmed that Newcastle and Wollongong's metropolitan status locked both cities out of funding from a new Snowy Hydro Legacy Fund, with Deputy Premier John Barilaro promising that "every cent of the full value of the ($4.1-billion) Snowy deal" going to "rural and regional NSW".

With an election to be held in March next year, the 2018-19 budget contains what the government says is a record capital works program of $87.2 billion over four years, or an average of $21.4 billion a year.

This spending is heavily skewed towards the coming financial (and election) year, with more than $25 billion budgeted for 2018-19, then dropping down for each succeeding year until a 2021-22 estimate of about $19 billion.

In another change in budget presentation, Budget Paper 3 - the budget estimates of each department - has been reorganised to include a concept called "outcome budgeting", in which departmental outcomes are aggregated into 10 budget "clusters"  including education, health, industry and justice.

This aims to help the government "pursue common objectives across agencies" and to better integrate services and allocate resources.