Federal opposition parties are celebrating a win in the Senate that could block Victoria's controversial north-south pipeline from going ahead.
The Senate last night passed a coalition amendment to the Water Amendment Bill to prevent new water being diverted away from the Murray-Darling Basin.
The amendment was supported by the Greens, independent senator Nick Xenophon and Family First Senator Steve Fielding.
The bill will now return to the House of Representatives where the Labor government can use its numbers to override the amendment.
If the amendment is passed, it would prevent water being pumped from the basin to Melbourne via the Sugarloaf pipeline.
The $750 million pipe is set to take 75 billion litres of water a year from savings created through irrigation channel upgrades.
Opposition environment and water spokesman Greg Hunt said the pressure was now on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his lower house members to scrap the ``disastrous'' project.
"If Kevin Rudd votes to override the Senate, this will be his pipeline,'' he said.
Pipeline protester Mike Dalmau applauded the Senate vote and said he prayed Mr Rudd would do ``the right thing for all Australians'' and stop the project going ahead.
"All polls taken consistently say 95 per cent of Victorians are against the north south pipeline. Notable people have called it bulls**t, stupid, crazy and environmental vandalism.
"The future of the north-south pipeline now lies with Prime Minister Rudd - does he pull Brumby into line or does he risk losing all support in rural Victoria, South Australia ... and rural NSW.''
Victorian Water Minister Tim Holding said the amendment would not pass the lower house.
AAP