Hunter residents have joined a push to transform the Murray Darling Basin plan to give farming families a better deal.
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They joined about 5000 people in a peaceful protest in Canberra on Monday and Tuesday to show their support.
"I'm glad I went, it was an extremely peaceful protest, it did get a little heated at times when politicians came out and spoke, which is quite natural given what they are going through," Speak Up 4 Water Newcastle and Hunter Valley coordinator Anne-Marie Best said.
"The farmers are just frustrated and scared for their future. The farmers are feeling very unsupported. The government have agreed to look at the plan so we will just have to wait and see."
Judy Kennedy, who used to be a livestock farmer in Armidale, went with Ms Best and said she felt the farmers' pain. After all, water is everything.
"No politician was prepared to come out and have a say except the three independents - Pauline Hanson, Bob Katter and Malcolm Roberts," she said.
"When they came out people were screaming and shouting 'thank you for coming'. They got the biggest round of applause and welcome."
Ms Best said farmers in the crowd were grateful for their support. The pair had a placard with Newcastle and Hunter Valley written on the back so other protesters knew where they were from.
"All of them were very thankful that we came all that way to show our support," Ms Best said.
NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Water Minister Melinda Pavey announced on Tuesday that they will push for changes to the Murray Darling Basin Plan.
The demands they will take to the federal government include NSW not contributing to the 450 gigalitres of additional water recovery efforts, lifting the barrages on the Lower Lakes to allow seawater back into Lake Alexandrina, identifying transmission losses in the system as water returned to the environment and NSW Water resource plans will not progress until after the drought has broken.
Shadow Minister for Water Clayton Barr said the threats and words counted for nothing and only raised false hopes in communities along the Murray river.
"Look no further than the Barwon-Darling system that has been ruined by this Government. Now they want to get their hands on the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers as well," he said.
