COALITION leader Tony Abbott's plan for a federal takeover of the Murray Darling Basin has been panned by irrigators and the Federal Government.
Mr Abbott last week called for a referendum at the 2013 federal election to change the constitution to transfer control of the basin's water from the states to the federal government.
NSW Irrigators' Council chief executive Andrew Gregson said the plan had no support among irrigators, which Mr Abbott could have discovered through a "few simple telephone calls".
The industry was already moving to a new system with the MDB Authority determining sustainable water use in the basin and the states managing their share of that resource, he said.
"Such a system provides an analysis of resources without borders, together with retention of the current property rights and management system.
"The operation of river systems remains with those who have the knowledge and capacity to manage them - the states."
Federal Water Minister Penny Wong said Mr Abbott's plan was "a recipe for inaction".
Mr Abbott also said a coalition government would set up a 1500-strong full-time workforce to oversee environmental restoration in Australia.
