Albury general manager Frank Zaknich estimated that the addition of 30 Murray Darling Basin Authority staff in the region would produce $5 million in salaries and an annual output of $17.29 million.

Similarly, Wangaratta chief executive Brendan McGrath predicted a $7.96 million spike if 25 staff relocated to the city or a whopping $23.88 million for 70 employees.

They’re massive numbers and would undoubtedly provide a huge boost to our local economies as part of a decentralised public service.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there’s been plenty of noise out of Canberra highlighting the millions of dollars such a move would cost the taxpayer. Already the decision to relocate the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority from Canberra to Barnaby Joyce’s Armidale has come under fire for its estimated $26 million price tag, not to mention the supposed impact of the disruption on staff.

Such fears are short-sighted.

Governments have long spruiked the benefits of living in regional centres and with stunning surrounds and a strong regional economy here on the Border, it’s easy to see why. It is this attractiveness that lies at the centre of campaigns such as Evocities in NSW, where metropolitan residents are encouraged to pack their bags and move out of the city.

Getting Commonwealth departments out of Canberra and into regional centres will help improve the lines of communication between workers and communities. On the MDBA, Farrer MP Sussan Ley said it would make sense to “have a presence in every single town in my electorate”.

“You can’t just pick a winner and put the whole authority in one place. This plan to spread out in key parts of the Basin will ultimately allow the MDBA to collect the intelligence, understanding and take the actions we need in implementing common-sense to the Murray Darling Basin Plan,” she said.

The trouble with common sense is that it’s all too uncommon.

As Victorian Senator Bridget McKenzie rightly pointed out, “we’ve got 85 regional councils putting in submissions (but) here we are sitting in Canberra talking about jobs in regional areas”.

Who says irony is dead?