FORMER deputy prime minister Tim Fischer wants more dams built, noting the current drought would be exacerbated without lakes Hume and Dartmouth.
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He said he had spoken to fellow Nationals member and the party's federal election candidate for Indi about the need for more types of storage.
"As Mark Byatt and I have discussed dams large and small, including on-farm storages, are vital as we deal with climate change," Mr Fischer said.
"Large and small, including decent sized dams on farms, will make a difference in drought years and where would be without Dartmouth and Hume."
"I'm pleased to see Michael McCormack engage with it, more to come," he said.
Mr Fischer's comments, made during a visit to Lockhart for the opening of a museum wing in his honour, water being at the forefront of a Farrer election forum host by the NSW Farmers at Deniliquin last Monday.
Candidates were asked whether they had a plan for the Murray Valley, where NSW irrigators have had a zero water allocation this year, Liberal incumbent Sussan Ley said she was hopeful that would not be the case for the next season.
"If we work out the issue of the losses in the system we probably can kick off with 14 per cent, that gets us out of the blocks and then the rest is the hard yards," Ms Ley said.
"The most important regional plan we can have is to have confidence and postivity looking forward and recognise the great opportunity and value in the region in which we live."
Independent candidate Kevin Mack said there was a lack of supportive regional policy at a federal level.
"Their solution to move public servants to regional areas doesn't work," Mr Mack said.
"There needs to be a real consistent approach to this process, provide significant reduction in taxes to businesses to develop in regional areas, provide incentives to bigger businesses in our larger cities to relocate to the Murray Valley, because there are strong reasons for them to relocate to the Murray Valley."
After the forum, Ms Ley said she had spoken to the office of new NSW Water Minister Melinda Pavey and she had faith that the replacement for Niall Blair would do a good job and realised the serious plight faced by irrigators.
On a visit to Deniliquin last Saturday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian promised that Ms Pavey, who has been on leave, would visit the town which voted against the Nationals in the state election.
