Even though the government had given assurances that the proposed buyback would not occur, the Nationals wanted this legislated.

It seems a degree of trust was the motive.

Now, Prime Minister Morrison has moved resources and water to the outer cabinet, a move that has the potential to be a wedge in any three-cornered contests at the forthcoming federal election.

The Nationals are sure to tout the fact that state and federal funds have been approved to build three dams in Barnaby Joyce's electorate.

The NSW government is seeking further funds for feasibility studies, to no avail at this stage.

Government will also have to, at some stage, look at risk assessments surrounding water storages bought starkly to reality with the issue of Paradise Dam on the Burnett River Dam, 80 kilometres southwest of Bundaberg.

The risk of failure of the roller compacted concrete gravity dam was called into question by its insurers Lloyds of London.

The Queensland government responded by drastically lowering the height of the wall, which will severely impact irrigation supplies.

As a matter of urgency, government must act and insure its own assets.

With foreign insurance, our ageing dams could be placed in an untenable position of being decommissioned, or capacity reduced because of asset restrictions and penalty insurance rates.

It does not help landowners when sections of the media claim to have an exclusive in relation to the opening up of camping on 17,000kms of Victoria waterways.

Never let the facts get in the way of a good story is the adage.

Even before the Victorian Farmers Federation took up the cudgel on behalf of landowners, who incidentally were doing a great job at protesting, it was obvious that the Victorian state government cabinet was divided on the issue.

Given enough pressure, the ill-conceived proposal was bound to crash and burn.

A reason put forward that resulted in the government backflip was pressure from Landcare groups; however, its pressure would have been minimal given Agriculture Minister Mary-Anne Thomas, Environment Minister Lily D'Ambrosio, and Aboriginal Affairs Minister Gabrielle Williams opposed the proposal instigated by the Fishing Minister Melissa Horne. Simply, Ms Horne has been rolled.

Time will be the judge of whether or not the government opts for limited pilot test sites for campers on water frontage Crown Land.

What is very clear is that farmers and landholders will always be in the sights of greens and their attendant bureaucracy.

The fringe in local government just keeps on giving.

Three Greens-controlled Melbourne councils now want to put an end to the use of fossil fuels in their boundaries, however, the best spectacle has occurred in a peri-urban shire.

A councillor made a claim that a tip in its boundaries was monitored daily.

Not so said another who instigated a local government dispute claim that cost ratepayers $3000.

The instigating councillor did not turn up to the hearing, which was dismissed.

Oh, dear.