FORMER Murray seat candidate David Landini is not giving up on his bid to create what he calls "The Riverina State".
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Mr Landini ran as an independent candidate in last year's state election, contesting the seat of Murray.
One of his key platforms during his campaign was the idea of a Riverina State, which he believes would greater serve the people of the region.
"NSW is devastating the the irrigation, forestry and other primary industries that are the basis of the prosperity of the people in the Riverina," he said.
"We cannot overcome the domination of Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong in NSW.
"The Riverina needs to be formed into a state separate from NSW.
"Only then can we manage water, timber, agriculture and other primary industries in the most beneficial way.
"The sooner The Riverina State is formed, the better off we will all be."
Mr Landini's call comes just under a year after Northern Victoria MP Tim Quilty used his maiden speech in Victorian parliament to call for a "breakaway state", of which Wodonga could be the capital, dubbing it "Rexit".
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Mr Landini lives in Wakool and is a former member of The National Party.
He said for all the issues currently plaguing NSW, particularly the ongoing problems relating to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, there was one common, underlying factor.
"I concluded a while ago we have a problem," Mr Landini said.
"When it comes to the water issues, we can probably say all of that is happening on top, but underneath it all there's a lot of politics.
"We've got a political problem here."
Mr Landini said those living in the region accounted for so little of the numbers when placed in comparison to those in Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong.
Mr Landini is currently planning public meetings to discuss the idea in places such as Barham, Deniliquin and Hay, but will look to adding others closer to the MIA.
"When I explain it to people, they're all for it," he said.
"We won't survive unless we do something drastic."
There are several steps that are required in creating an independent state, including a petition, referendum and more.
Residents wanting to discover more about Mr Landini's idea of a Riverina State can visit https://theriverinastate.com.au/.
