'No care for rural Australia': Mayor's angry letter to Prime Minister

Environment and water minister Tanya Plibersek announced the Sustainable Communities Program last month which will see states work directly with towns and cities affected by voluntary water purchases.

The package will be used to create and support local jobs and businesses, as well as kickstart investments or expand industries in Basin communities.

Murrumbidgee mayor Ruth McRae has penned an open letter to Anthony Albanese, comparing the package to "shiny trinkets".

In the letter, Cr McRae says buybacks 'will see many communities, currently with their back to the wall, disappear.'

"If you cared about the bush, Mr Prime Minister, you would ensure that every (dollar) you take out of the Gross Regional Product is replaced by another industry to replace the Gross Regional Product lost," she said.

"Not throw $300 million at names on the back of a football jersey or plant trees in the main street of the towns."

She says the economic prosperity of town and city centres in the MIA will suffer.

"With no care for rural Australia, the Albanese Labor Government is saying goodbye to small business," Cr McRae said.

"Decisions of the Federal Government have real life impact on real people.

"In the end there will be very few left, and those that are here are even more isolated than before, and that isolation then creates mental health concerns," she said.

Cr McRae says two industries that felt the devastating impact of the last round of water buy-backs were rice and dairy.

"The loss of these economic drivers in our rural communities causes a domino effect, with reductions in essential services such as police, medical, and education," Cr McRae said.

"This, in turn, causes more people to leave those rural communities in search of essential services in larger towns."

She says buybacks will add a further burden on top of the cost of living and inflation.

"Buying back this water will see water costs jump by 10 (per cent) or more," she said.

"Simply put, water will be more expensive, so the cost of production will be more expensive, therefore retail prices will be higher, which is inflation.

"Higher prices for food leads to cost of living pressures, not to mention the $2 million plus on food handouts already."

Cr McRae has also taken aim at a government advertising campaign on the Murray Darling Basin.

"Incidentally, the advertising propaganda... about overuse of water is complete and utter rubbish," Cr McRae said.

"Our farmers wring out every drop of water to ensure value for money.

"The irrigation areas were purpose built by Government. They were built to drought-proof the country to ensure we could have food and fibre for all our needs and export for the good of the country.

"(This is) a Government that lacks awareness, vision and social equity - to all intents and purposes (this) Government is prepared to sacrifice the few to satisfy an unbalanced agenda," Cr McRae said.

Cr McRae isn't the first leader in the area to voice concerns for communities over buy-backs, joining Member for Murray Helen Dalton, Leeton Mayor Tony Reneker, Griffith mayor Doug Curran and the Griffith Business Chamber.

Many have said they would like Ms Plibersek to visit the region and engage with communities.

When asked for a response to the letter and concerns over the buybacks compensation package, environment and water minister Tanya Plibersek reiterated to The Area News her government's commitment to delivering the Murray Darling Basin Plan.

"The Australian Government is committed to delivering the (Plan) and balancing the needs of our communities and our environment," she said.

"We have listened to community feedback which is why we are prioritising the Resilient Rivers Water Infrastructure Program and maximising the use of non-purchase recovery options.

"For example, the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Urban Channel Pipelines Project delivers infrastructure that will improve conditions for the local community, while also delivering for the environment.

"The project is expected to contribute 2,541 megalitres of water a year towards the 450 gigalitre target," she said.

"We continue to prioritise non-purchase options to recover water, such as investing in water saving infrastructure, and are supporting Basin communities that may feel the impacts of water recovery with a record $300 million investment," she said.

"Not only will regional communities prosper when the Murray-Darling Basin river system is healthy - we all will. That's what our Government is focused on."