ALBURY Liberal MP Justin Clancy says the federal Labor government's approach to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan shows how that party would treat regional NSW if it wins the state election on Saturday March 25.
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"I'd be concerned for all of regional NSW if it's not a Liberal-National government," Mr Clancy said.
Asked what he meant by that comment, he replied: "We can see already from federal Labor in terms of the conversation around the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and what that might mean in terms of buybacks."
That prompted Deniliquin-based senator and federal Opposition water spokeswoman Perin Davey to raise concerns about resultant increased water prices hurting communities.
Labor election candidate for Albury Marcus Rowland said Mr Clancy's claim was disappointing in the context of the NSW Coalition government's approach to the basin plan.
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"We're almost four years behind in the basin plan state-wise because the Liberal-National government have done nothing to support regional areas," Mr Rowland said.
"I went into the last one in 2019 as a vet and people tend to like vets, whereas this year I'm going into it as a politician," he said.
Mr Rowland expects to better the 24 per cent Labor primary vote in the last election and has a target in mind but would not voice it.
He said education, health and roads were the big concerns aired by early voters.
"A lady was explaining the other day she had replaced her car tyres three or four times, she's constantly driving between Corowa, Albury and Holbrook and the roads never seemed to be getting better," Mr Rowland said.
Mr Clancy said home renting, school zones and the Albury hospital upgrade were topics raised with him and the attitude on the latter was "let's get cracking".
Up to the morning of Friday March 24, just over 25 per cent of voters in Albury has already made their choice with 28 per cent in the seats of Murray and Wagga lodging early ballots.
That meant 15,375 early and postal votes across Albury, with the 2019 total of 8465 to be doubled once final figures are included.
She is in second place on the Greens ticket for the Legislative Council.
"Regardless of what happens in Albury today we still a get a Greens MP," the Greens candidate for Albury Eli Davern said of the near certain success of Dr Cohn.
Dr Cohn would be the first Greens MP from southern NSW and she would join Doug Padman, Cleaver Bunton and Harold Mair in entering parliament after having served on Albury Council.
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