Pledge local communities not left dry in new basin plan

The government secured the numbers in the Senate to pass the new plan after initial water recovery targets were not on track to be met.

The coalition remains opposed to water buybacks - where farmers can sell their water to the government - arguing it would rip the heart out of local basin economies and communities and drive up food prices if farmers cash in their water reserves.

But Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who signed onto the plan last week after securing concessions from the government, said buybacks were the most efficient way of recovering water for the river, which has suffered from over-extraction.

Farmers were already able to sell their water to anyone except the government, she said.

"They can sell it to big corporate cotton, they can sell it to foreign water ownership, they can sell it to the Canadian pension fund but they can't sell it to the government to save the environment, it's a bit ridiculous," she told the ABC's Insiders on Sunday.

Senator Hanson-Young said regional communities would be looked after through a fund that can used to aid transitions.

"We need to make sure those communities are supported if there does need to be some kind of transition," she said.

"There is a package within this reform that allows for (a) proper assessment for the community, what does the community need."

Senator Hanson-Young also criticised the "greed and self-interest" that had ruled the river's management ahead of the environmental concerns as water levels dropped.

But Deputy Nationals Leader Perin Davey said basin communities had been "shafted".

Driving up the cost of water with the government entering the market would have flow-on effects at the checkout, driving up the price of food and fibre, she warned.

She also criticised the government for failing to consult with local communities about the impact it would have on their economies and industries.

Australian Associated Press