Southern Riverina Irrigators chairman Chris Brooks has re-ignited a push for a Royal Commission into the Murray Darling Basin Authority's management of water by turning to South Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young for support.
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Senator Hanson-Young this week toured the Murray region which is staring at the grim prospect of zero water allocation for a second successive season.
Mr Brooks said Senator Hanson-Young was better informed on major issues facing Murray irrigators following two days in the area this week.
"She is guilty of making silly statements like most politicians, but it is just a matter of educating them," he said.
"She actually agrees we've got a fair argument and is now on board with anti-MDBA, poor river management and also wanting a Royal Commission to fix it.
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"The plan was designed to benefit everybody, but it's not doing that.
"Sussan Ley won't listen and toes the party line."
Ms Ley said she was constantly fighting for a better deal for irrigators, who should be wary of the senator's interest in basin water management.
In April this year, Senator Hanson-Young said: "In order to save the river more environmental water must be purchased off irrigators".
"Make no mistake the only thing Senator Hanson-Young wants is more water for the environment than is currently allocated under the basin plan," Ms Ley said.
NSW Nationals Senator Perin Davey commended Senator Hanson-Young for visiting the region.
"I would be happy to sit down with Senator Hanson-Young to look at the interstate water sharing arrangements to see if they should be revised to include arrangements for relaxing the fixed volumes for South Australia in these extreme dry circumstances," Senator Davey said.
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