Federal Water Minister David Littleproud has called for calm, leadership and common sense in the water debate in NSW.
Mr Littleproud said it was important the NSW Government understood the full ramifications of withdrawing from the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
“The Federal Government would be potentially forced by NSW to recover water by buybacks, not the $1 billion of water infrastructure we are prepared to deliver,” Mr Littleproud said.
“I don’t support buybacks, they destroy communities and I don’t want to be forced by law, to undertake them if NSW pulls out.
“That would be the outcome of leaving the plan.”
Mr Littleproud said "pulling out of the plan would not deliver one drop of water to a NSW farmer".
“The facts are clear,” he said.
“Ripping up the plan will only result in a worse one.
“This is a time to show leadership and work together to get the best outcome in these difficult times.”