That is the demand Federal Member for Farrer David Farley has put to Parliament through a notice of motion this week.
The proposal, known as the Murray-Darling Basin 2026/27 Productive Water Initiative, is designed as a one-season trial to test whether Commonwealth-held environmental water can support food production, regional employment and economic activity while maintaining critical environmental needs.
Mr Farley said the initiative would help restore productive capacity in regional communities without requiring the permanent sale of Commonwealth water entitlements.
“We want the constituency and regional commence to be equal to the environment, not in competition,” he said.
Under the proposal, water would be temporarily allocated for productive use while several major national reviews are completed.
This includes the Water Act 2007 review, the 2026 Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review, the Feeding Australia National Food Security Strategy and the inquiry into Australia’s national civil preparedness and resilience.
The motion also calls for a pause on further water buybacks until those reviews have been completed and considered.
According to the proposal, Commonwealth environmental water holdings across the Murray-Darling Basin totalled about 3179 gigalitres in registered entitlements and 2200GL of long-term diversion limit equivalent as of July 31.
The southern-connected basin accounts for about 2399GL of those registered entitlements.
“This is not a free lunch. Every megalitre we release into production this spring is a megalitre to be replaced with inflows over the next 12 months. There is a genuine trade-off,” Mr Farley said.
Mr Farley said the proposal comes at a critical time for national water and food security policy.
“During the next year, Parliament and government will consider major reviews concerning water policy, the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, national food security and national civil preparedness and resilience.
“The timing of my motion is a unique opportunity - rather than permanently removing further productive capacity while these reviews are underway, Australia can use the 2026-27 season as a controlled national policy trial.”
The proposal was debated on Monday until time expired, and has been adjourned as an order of the day for a future parliamentary sitting week.
During the debate, Mr Farley’s One Nation colleague Barnaby Joyce and MPs Jamie Chaffey, Matt Burnell and Luke Gosling all chimed in.
Mr Joyce warned that access to water underpins the viability of regional towns.
“If you don't have water, you don't have industry. If you don't have industry, you don't have jobs,” he said.
He further argued that water policy affects far more than agriculture.
“It's not just the farmers, but the hairdressers, tyre businesses, getting people into the social structure, the schools are all affected by access to water.”
Mr Chaffey, who is the Nationals’ Member for Parkes and deputy chair of the Standing Committee on Primary Industries, echoed his concerns.
He said regional communities are bearing the burden of water recovery programs.
“Water is absolutely the lifeblood of Australian agriculture. When you take water from a community, it withers and it dies.”
Representing the government, Matt Burnell said the Albanese Government remained committed to delivering the Murray-Darling Basin Plan while balancing environmental and agricultural needs.
He stressed that “there are no jobs on a dead river” and rejected the notion of a conflict between farming and environmental outcomes.
“Ultimately, the future of the Murray Darling Basin cannot be reduced to a choice between environmental water and productive water. It's about ensuring both can prosper long into the future,” he said.
Fellow Labor Member for Solomon Luke Gosling said climate change would make water management increasingly important, warning of “a hotter and drier basin in the future, less predictable rainfall” and highlighting the need to secure water supplies for communities, industry and the environment.
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