Sussan holds Farrer

As a result the Berrigan Shire Council will receive its long awaited $1 million in drought funding, while Finley based Southern Growers was promised $350,000 just days before the election.

Jerilderie Sports Club is set to receive $155,000 for new solar panels and Tocumwal Golf & Bowls Club $65,000 for a Sports Advancement Initative.

In nearby Deniliquin, the promised included $1.4 million for the hospital’s emergency department.

While the election was still yet to be officially delcared at the time of going to print yesterday, the Coalition had garnered enough votes for Labor to concede defeat.

Berrigan Shire Mayor Matt Hannan said the drought funding it will now receive has been earmarked specifically for Finley and Berrigan.

It has allocated $525,000 for redeveloping Hayes Park and Apex Park in Berrigan, $150,000 for constructing Scoullar St and $400,000 for Denison St streetscaping.

‘‘The two parks will include new equipment and landscaping.

‘‘Council will remove the trees along the Denison St median strip to do some streetscaping, and then plant new trees as part of our town plans.

‘‘The final amount of money will go towards Scoullar St, which will help assist in the road construction to improve access and parking issues at the back of the hospital.

‘‘Berrigan and Finley are two of the most affected communities in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, however put the drought on top of that those communities need a lift.

‘‘While the money comes to the Berrigan Shire, council felt directing the money to those two towns will help stimulate some activity.’’

Despite gaining more than 50 per cent of the primary votes in Saturday’s election, Ms Ley did suffer an overall swing against of about seven per cent.

She retained support in the local area by winning the Finley, Tocumwal, Jerilderie and Barooga booths, but in Berrigan and Blighty Ms Ley was out-voted by Independent Kevin Mack.

Mr Mack also won all of the Deniliquin polling places

Labor’s Kieran Drabsch finished third with 12,401 first preferance votes, while Dean Moss and the Greens finished fourth.

The United Australia Party (UAP) finished fifth only polling 4.2 per cent of the first preference votes across the electorate.

Ms Ley said she expected the swing against her and was relieved the election was over.

She said she’d never experience such a ‘‘bitter and nasty’’ election.

‘‘The swing was expected with so many candidates and a well known independent running, but I did win on primary votes meaning we didn’t need to go to preferences.

‘‘I’m pleased with that and take it as an endorsement of my work in the electorate and my campaign about where we are with the Murray Darling Basin Plan moving forward.

‘‘I’ve never gone through an election like it. I did run against a water based independent in 2010 (Louise Burge) and we didn’t have the same negativity in that campaign as I experienced in this one.

‘‘I don’t really want to look back at that and I’m happy we got to where we are now.’’

The local voting spread on first preferances, at the time of going to print yesterday, is as follows:

●Barooga — Liberal 332, Labor 113, Mack 281, UAP 35.

●Berrigan — Liberal 276, Labor 55, Mack 299, UAP 36.

●Blighty — Liberal 51, Labor 2, Mack 90, UAP 3.

●Finley — Liberal 593, Labor 96, Mack 380, UAP 59.

●Jerilderie — Liberal 245, Labor 56, Mack 150, UAP 17.

●Tocumwal — Liberal 543, Labor 112, Mack 271, UAP 73.

For the many local irrigators who were praying for a pause to the controversial Murray Darling Basin Plan, it’s not good news.

Ms Ley had previously argued a pause to the plan would be worse for farmers if Labor, the Greens or independents seized control of Parliament. But even with the Coalition expected to form Government, she’s still not budging.

‘‘It wasn’t my main reason for not backing a pause to the plan, it was because it’s actually not achievable by one government in a group of basin states to make that happen,’’ she said.

‘‘Certainly there was a huge downside if Labor got into government, no question. But we don’t need to pause the plan, we need to improve the plan,’’ Ms Ley said.

Now, one of Ms Ley’s top priorities is to roll out an independent review into how local communities are being impacted by zero general security water allocations.

She said this review would start as soon as the government returned to Canberra and hoped it would take just six months to complete.

‘‘It’s not just a review for the sake of it, it’s actually real, chaired by (rural advocate) Robbie Sefton, (who is) known to many farmers,’’ she said.

‘‘(It will benchmark) where we are, where we need to be and what the impacts of current policy are having on farmers and their water allocations. That will give us the evidence we need to really make a case for change.’’

While water has largely eclipsed debate this federal election, Ms Ley said it was number one in a raft of other local issues she planned to address in the coming term.

‘‘I’ve promised to improve water policy at the national level, working closely with the state government on both sides of the border because the basin plan is very much about the basin states,’’ she said.

‘‘But we’ve also had a big rural health agenda going into this election, pledging $550 million for more doctors and nurses in regional Australia. Infrastructure is another big one.’’

While she is not actively seeking a front bench position in the new Morrison Government, Ms Ley said she would be honoured to be offered one.

‘‘I’m delighted to be returned as the local member and if the PM would like me to do anything else, either with the ministry or behind the scenes — which the public don’t often see — then I would be delighted to be offered. I don’t seek it and don’t expect it.’’

Ms Ley added she will campaign to bring Mr Morrison to the Southern Riverina some time in the next three and half years.

The victory for Ms Ley is her seventh term as the Member for Farrer since winning in 2001.