Despite reports of widespread community anger, very few farmers in south-east South Australia have raised their views about NRM levy increases.

Just 20 written submissions relating to the proposed increases to the NRM levy were received by the south-east Natural Resource Management (NRM) board.

SA’s NRM boards are operating on Government advice that levy increases are necessary to recover $3.5 million in 2015-16 and $6.8 million in 2016-17, and the south-east of the state had been expected to react angrily, as it will be one of the hardest hit.

Months of community consultation have informed residents that the levy increases are imminent, but have said nothing about how the money is raised and or will be spent.

NRM South East regional manager Tim Collins says feedback on the draft business plan (which includes the levy increases) is open until 15 January 2016.

“The board is required to raise the extra levy, that can't be influenced,” he said.

“What the board is looking for is how do we go about raising that increase.”

President of the Local Government Association Limestone Coast, Erika Vickery, has told ABC reporters that community action has been discussed.

“We're trying to bring to the attention of the State Government the impact the increase in the NRM levies are going to have on rural people, particularly in light of the drought that we've had, especially in the upper south east,” she said.

“Secondarily we're asking the south-east NRM board to identify and make savings for the 2016 financial year to reduce the impact on landholders.”

Ms Vickery said the community knew increases would happen, but they wanted to know what the money generated would actually be spent on.

“We're going to have to live with it, but we're asking for [the increases] to be as minimal as possible and that it's well understood by the community what the levy is actually for.”