FOCUSING ON BUYBACKS: The inaugural Taste of the Basin event held at Parliament House in Canberra on November 15, represented an opportunity for local industry leaders and members of the opposition to voice concern over policy to increase water buybacks from the Murray Darling Basin.

With the federal government proposing an additional 450 gigalitres in buybacks, communities across the region are worried about the impact on productivity and viability of their farming enterprises.

As the Basin produces 40 per cent of the nation's food and fibre, Leader of the Nationals David Littleproud urged a more commonsense approach of returning water to the environment, rather than "this blunt instrument of buybacks that destroy communities".

Whilst Member for Nicholls, Sam Birrell said "If we want food to be grown here in Australia, sustaining communities and being clean and healthy for our kids, we need to the farmers and the processors the tools that they need."