Councillor Maytom’s comments come after the Ricegrowers' Association of Australia (RGA) reiterated a call to the federal government for all further buybacks to be suspended until the full impact of the Murray Darling Basin Plan on the southern basin is known.

He said the need for a continued balance between what the environment required and what irrigators also needed was an issue that needed sorting. 

“At the Senate select inquiry hearing in Griffith earlier this year that was exactly what I was pushing for,” Cr Maytom said. 

“I do think we need a review into what water is going to the environment and what it is being used for. 

“Obviously at this point the weather has changed and there has been more than enough rain. 

“However, there does need to be a review and evaluation for the different weather patterns. There does need to be a small risk taken here. 

“Let’s hold water for productive use … I don’t think that’s going to have a major impact on the environment right now.

“We need to determine the overall impacts … there’s much better ways to predict things now. The issue is we have always wanted balance across the board.”

RGA president Jeremy Morton agreed said there should be no further water recovery in the Murray and Murrumbidgee valleys. 

He said the organisation felt unachievable flow targets in the Basin Plan, which underpin the water recovery target of 2750 gigalitres, have resulted in an over-recovery of water.

"This over-recovery has resulted in unnecessary economic harm to communities in the basin and leaves the Commonwealth with a portfolio of water it doesn't need and can't use as envisaged when the Basin Plan was developed,” Mr Morton said.

“It's a case of maximum pain with minimum gain. Current flooding throughout the basin clearly demonstrates that more water is not the answer.”