Candidates in the Mayo by-election have no idea how to end the crisis of the Murray Darling water situation. Nor do the current Federal politicians. It will take a Royal Commission to instigate a Federally managed Murray Darling system that excludes State government's so called water management.

In general I would agree with AngasB but if you had been at the Great Debate in Strathalbyn on Sunday 24th August you would have heard one candidate make a suggestion which has actually been used in the USA since 2002 to manage competing interests over land use. He referred to the Conservation Reserve Program which uses federal funds to rent land from farmers so the farmer has an income from the land without having to farm it. In fact the program is designed to stop the land from being farmed. If this method was used then the water which was no longer needed for irrigation would be immediately available for other uses. Which may be environmental or to allow other irrigators to receive their full entitlements.