MOST people in the Murray Darling Basin think more water is needed for the environment, but are worried about the economic impact.
A recent cross-Basin survey has found 70 per cent of Basin residents think more environmental water would benefit their local area.
But a similar number - 68 per cent - also believe less irrigation water will make life harder for farmers.
Victorian participants were the most concerned and pessimistic about the future outlook for water reform.
Initiated by Inovact Consulting, the Basin Pulse survey of 476 Basin residents aged over 18 found overwhelming support for changes in water policy and a strong sense of urgency about the need to act.
Half those surveyed said changes to irrigation allocations should already be under way, and a further quarter said they should occur "without further delay''.
"Basin residents are caught in two minds,'' survey leader and Inovact's managing director Brian Ramsay said.
"They think change needs to happen but they're worried about the impact on them.
"Three out of four are frustrated with the pace of water reform, which they say has been way too slow.''
The first in a series of Basin Pulse surveys was conducted by telephone interview during June this year, with participants selected randomly from regional phone books.
About 28 per cent were from northern Victorian communities, with 52 per cent from NSW (including 28 percent from the Riverina), 12 per cent from Queensland and 7 per cent from South Australia.
Mr Ramsay said the survey results showed that the settings for decision-makers to proceed with water reform were ideal.
"Conversely, any extensive delays in acting on water reform may be received negatively by the Basin community."
The Murray Darling Basin Authority has been preparing a Basin water plan for more than a year and a half and recently delayed release of the final blueprint until at least the end of this month to avoid the federal election campaign.
According to the Basin Pulse survey, 80 per cent of participants agreed there was a need to shift water from irrigation to the environment across the Basin, with more than half - 56 per cent - saying there had to be substantial change.
But the percentages dropped significantly when people were asked about the need for change in their own local area.
"It's a bit of the 'not in my backyard' syndrome," Mr Ramsay said.
Nonetheless, the survey found that almost half - 46 per cent - of those surveyed were positive and confident about the future for their local area. Only 24 per cent thought things would get worse.
