A PROPOSAL to give bureaucrats a bigger say over irrigator entitlements has angered some stakeholders.

Some say they were not given an opportunity to provide feedback.

Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce has accused independent and Regional Australia Committee chairman Tony Windsor of "concealing changes from public view".

Mr Windsor, who is Regional Australia Committee chairman, said the accusation was "drivel".

An RAC meeting last week considered a Bill which would give the Murray Darling Basin Authority the right to alter irrigators' entitlements by plus or minus 5 per cent.

Irrigator groups were not invited to the meeting.

Senator Joyce accused the committee, which includes National Michael McCormack and Liberals Dr Sharman Stone and Dan Tehan, of "apparently" planning "to take no submissions from the public and only hear in private the views of the MDBA and the relevant government department".

He said the RAC had been directed to assess the Bill by another parliamentary committee, "not the Parliament".

The Bill itself came from a recommendation initially made by the RAC.

"Community, bureaucrats, the states and a range of other people recommended this process," Mr Windsor said.

"This has been backed by the states since the Bill came to Parliament.

"The Joyce line is all about Commonwealth taking more water - well, he can run that line, but it's not the truth."

Mr Windsor argued there was no point asking stakeholders to again repeat their views following an "exhaustive" consultation process.

But Senator Joyce said "Mr Windsor should ensure the RAC conducts an open and transparent inquiry into the proposed changes".

"Anything less risks tarnishing the good work that the Regional Australia Committee has done on the Murray-Darling Basin to date," Senator Joyce said.

NSW Irrigator's Council chief executive Andrew Gregson said most "stakeholders agree with an adjustment mechanism".

"But we have serious concerns about what this Bill will do.

"The RAC didn't open (this) inquiry to the concerns of stakeholders."

The committee was due to report to Water Minister Tony Burke this week.