Member for Farrer Sussan Ley not hopeful of budget outcomes for region

Chief among her concerns is what the government's answers to the cost of living will be.

"I'm not hopeful of anything good for the electorate or the regions because I don't think this is a government that understands our region and its importance to the nation," Ms Ley said.

"The test for this budget is if it can deliver cost of living relief for so many who are living on fixed incomes, struggling with increased prices, and who are worried about choosing between heating and eating heading into winter.

"More broadly, people will need to see a government that can control spending. Only then can we get inflation under control and stop prices rising because that's what's hurting families.

"Unfortunately, what this incoming government has done is frozen all of its spending for regional Australia, including many good projects that were carefully costed and announced.

"Yes, governments should spend more wisely and carefully on infrastructure and I accept the budget will be under pressure, but I won't accept we won't get infrastructure spending in regional Australia, including my electorate."

She cited action on water buybacks as an example of Labor being out of touch with the Farrer electorate.

"Their action on water and water buybacks is just beginning to bite. They don't understand that irrigated agriculture feeds the nation, feeds the world and delivers prosperity," Ms Ley said.

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State MP for Murray, Helen Dalton, has also weighed in, saying she hopes the budget will work to address issues on a local level.

"Housing's a big problem here and I would like to think something is included that can make ways to address that. We desperately need it," Ms Dalton said.

"Along with housing, we have a huge workforce shortage which is impacting on our productivity.

"Meanwhile, I would also like to see the 450 gigalitres for water buybacks scrapped, funding allocated for health and aged care. We need a new model for how aged care is delivered or homes in this region could eventually be lost.

"I feel there's quite a few levers the commonwealth can pull and they need to pull them fairly quickly."

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