The plan is part of the Nationals Regional Investment Strategy that was launched two years ago by party leader Warren Truss.

Member for Riverina Michael McCormack said while it was a long-term plan, he was unhappy with it.

"Why would we be trying to create something like this somewhere else when we already have a world-class food bowl in the Riverina?" he said.

"Why should we be wasting our time and energy on something like that?

"There is already such an investment here ... we have the best farmers who work under the best practice to produce the best quality food for this nation.

"I've made my feelings known in the party room, to Warren Truss and to Tony Abbott on this issue.

"Before we even contemplate doing anything in the north, we should be enhancing what we already have."

Riverina Democratic Labor Party candidate Paul Funnell believes the idea is "ludicrous".

"There is no way Michael McCormack can defend this," he said.

"There is no way he can say he will stand up for the Riverina and the MIA when his own party is pushing for a food bowl somewhere else.

"We already have the country's biggest food bowl here and we need to support it and make it even stronger.

"What we don't need is to push it to the side and that's what the Nationals are doing.

"There can be no back pedalling on this."

Mr Truss said the reasoning behind the push was Australia's population, which is expected to double by 2050, along with the world population that is forecast to be more than nine billion people.

"And half of these people will live in the Asia-Pacific region, literally on our northern doorstep," Mr Truss said.

"We unashamedly want to establish a northern food bowl, treble mineral exports, see major new energy developments, a larger high-value northern tourism industry, and world centres of excellence for tropical medicine and health research � all in Australia's new northern frontier.

"Building dams and water storages to protect us from droughts and floods have the capacity to make regional Australia, especially the north, more productive.

"These are the right priorities at the right time for northern Australia and, more broadly, Australia's growth and prosperity."

****

DEMOCRATIC Labor Party candidate for the Riverina Paul Funnell has criticised Leeton Shire Council mayor Paul Maytom after he called on the NSW government to sign up to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

Councillor Maytom believes the time is now to get the ball rolling so funding can become available to the region to invest in infrastructure projects.

Mr Funnell sees the matter differently.

"What is the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and why can't anyone seem to show it to me in concrete?" he said.

"Our position as the Democratic Labor Party is to call for a moratorium on it, meaning a cessation of it.

"I was stunned to hear the comments from the Leeton mayor.

"I find it absolutely ridiculous he has called on NSW to sign off on this plan."