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Brewarrina Mayor Matthew Slack-Smith is not confident Premier Mike Baird's visit to drought-stricken areas in NSW last week will lead to more assistance for struggling farmers.
Mr Baird and Agriculture Minister Katrina Hodgkinson visited Weilmoringle, near Brewarrina, where they toured local Ed Vassy's farm to see the impact of the drought first-hand.
The mayors from Brewarrina, Bourke and Coonamble, as well as NSW Farmers President Fiona Simson, all had a chance to share their concerns with the politicians.
"They listened and they nodded but there were no promises made," Cr Matthew Slack-Smith said.
Cr Slack-Smith said he tried to make the Premier realise while three-quarters of Brewarrina is okay, there are still parts that haven't received any rain.
"We tried to argue strongly to treat our areas different. They need to realise we can't be about preparation at this stage."
He said the areas need to be broken into smaller parts than the shire boundries to ensure the places that are suffering can be drought declared.
In the best case scenario, Cr Slack-Smith said the fodder and stock transport subsidy would be re-introduced, the Cap and Pipe the Bores scheme would be reinstated and government sponsored income protection would be established.
Shadow Minister for Primary Industries Steve Whan said the visit will be nothing more than window dressing unless the drought relief programs are re-introduced.
"Unfortunately this week's costal rainfall has not given much respite to farmers in the north west and the Premier's visit might give them even less joy," Mr Whan said.
"During the millenium drought the Labor government provided 50 per cent subsidies for the transport of fodder and stock, those subsidies helped farmers keep their breeding stock alive so that they could rebuild herds in the good years.
"Farmers in the north west were receiving these subsidies up until June 30 when the Baird Liberal/National government cut them off.
"The subsidies finished but the drought did not."
