Murray Darling Basin, Water, Water allocation
Q. The Murray-Darling system is in crisis because for decades state governments have allocated too much water from the river for irrigation, affecting the environment and communities further down the river. Which of the following Government actions do you most support?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Leave existing water allocations in place | 17% | 14% | 24% | 6% |
| Purchase water rights from irrigators willing to sell | 36% | 37% | 39% | 34% |
| Compulsorily buy water rights from irrigators and farmers | 17% | 19% | 13% | 36% |
| Don’t know | 29% | 29% | 25% | 24% |
Only 17% believe that existing water allocations in the Murray-Darling system should be maintained and 53% think the Government should buy back water rights either compulsorily (17%) or from irrigators willing to sell (36%).
Support for maintaining existing allocations was a little higher among Liberal voters (24%). Among Greens voters 36% support compulsorily buying rights and 34% support buying rights from irrigators willing to sell. Comments »