Joyce heads to Orange before by-election

The Murray Darling Basin will be on Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce's agenda when he visits Orange on Wednesday to campaign alongside the National Party's candidate ahead of a NSW state parliament by-election.

Scott Barrett is running for the seat in the November 12 poll after the previous Nationals MP Andrew Gee made a successful tilt at federal politics.

Mr Joyce told reporters in Canberra the federal government was focused on investing in capital infrastructure for the basin so there were returns to both farmers and the environment.

Mr Joyce is also likely to inspect flood damage in the NSW central west.