Farrer MP decries Member for Murray Helen Dalton's plan to participate in rally

The rally is set to take place outside the office of minister for the environment Tanya Plibersek on Thursday.

Speaking in Federal Parliament on Monday, Ms Ley called on the Member for Murray Helen Dalton to use her vote in the NSW state parliament to protect farming communities in the Murray region.

"Rather than yelling at a Minister who won't even be in Sydney this week... stay at Macquarie Street - do what you were elected to do - and make the NSW Government back up their traitorous words with action," Ms Ley said.

"Premier Minns and his water minister must join Victoria and categorically rule out allowing these buybacks to occur in their state. I look forward to the state member actively refusing confidence and supply until that happens."

Ms Ley believes the premier and Water Minister Rose Jackson have 'taken Mrs Dalton for a ride.'

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"We have a local independent member for Murray who's spent much of this year doing photo ops with or on behalf of the New South Wales Government," Ms Ley said.

"(Mr Minns and Ms Jackson) have dumped her on a side road... they've asked her to find her own way home because she has not been able to impact the one thing that matters to us most, which is water."

With Victoria opting out of the new agreement, Ms Ley believes NSW will be a clear buyback target.

"The Victorian Government stood firm... they won't be coming to Victoria to buy water. They'll be coming to the NSW Murray and Murrumbidgee. I am up for this fight. I don't think our local state member is," she said.

Shadow Minister for Water, Perin Davey, says the proposed amendments to the water act remove any protections for Basin communities.

"It shows this Labor Government's disregard for the legitimate concerns stakeholders have raised," she said.

"For the NSW Government to jump on the gravy train after Premier Minns told the NSW Parliament they did not support buybacks shows his words are hollow.

"While everyone supports an extension for the project, the risk to our communities of removing the cap on buybacks and using buybacks to achieve the extra 450GL over and above the Basin Plan is significant.

"The Member for Murray should be calling on the premier and his water minister Rose Jackson to absolutely reject these amendments," she said.

Speaking in the lead-up to Thursday's rally in Sydney, Mrs Dalton said the minister for environment has come in like a 'rural wrecking ball.'

"Federal Labor is about to drive up food costs for everyone while also driving more and more farmers off the land," Mrs Dalton said.

"Despite knowing all this, the water minister is determined to keep pushing for her politically-motivated plan. That's why these farming families are taking the matter to the doorstep of her office in Sydney.

"This is about Federal Labor trying to look environmentally-friendly so they don't lose more votes to the Greens. Labor needs to get their politics out of our rivers."

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