The Minns Labor Government has been caught out in a web of deceit over its decision to axe up to 165 jobs from the only department dedicated to regional NSW.
Concerns have been raised by staff at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) about the impact the cuts will have, disputing claims by the Secretary and Minister Moriarty front line roles won't be affected.
There are also questions around the justification for the move, with figures revealing some teams will be reducing staff headcount but increasing cost to carry out the same workload.
NSW Nationals Leader Dugald Saunders said the numbers simply aren't adding up.
"I've heard directly from impacted employees in several different areas who feel like they have been lied to, with no rhyme or reason for these cuts, and no genuine consultation process taking place," Mr Saunders said.
"It's a slap in the face to hundreds of people who have done immeasurable work serving our country communities for many years, ensuring they are supported in every way.
"The impact this is having on individuals and families is significant and the Minister needs to come clean about exactly why these changes are happening on her watch."
It has been revealed some of the roles on the chopping block include top biosecurity experts, researchers, scientists and people responsible for the delivery of loans, transport subsidies, and emergency fodder at the Rural Assistance Authority (RAA).
"The claims that no frontline jobs are going is completely false, and there's real concern about the expertise that will be lost from the biosecurity team, which raises massive alarm bells at a time when there should be a significant focus on protecting our primary industries," Mr Saunders said.
"We're not just losing staff here, but also years of knowledge and experience in a range of fields, which is something you simply can't put a price on.
"Not only does it raise alarm bells for our farmers who are constantly facing threats to our food and fibre, but also to communities trying to recover from natural disasters.
"We've seen devastating floods on the mid-north coast and drought impacting much of southern NSW, so how can the government possibly justify this decision?"
