Premier Gladys Berejiklian is being called upon to return water to farmers on the Murray-Darling Basin.

Southern parts of New South Wales have plenty of water in the rivers but it’s all tied up by commonwealth bureaucracy.

The Murray-Darling Basin Plan forces farmers to let water flow past their drought-stricken properties, through to the green pastures of South Australia.

Shooters, Fishers & Farmers MP Helen Dalton tells Luke Grant nearly two decades ago the state government took a portion of water entitlements off farmers in the Murray.

“They did that during wet times… the sad bit about that stolen water is that farmers still pay the fixed fee and charges on that water even though they don’t get it.

“They’ve got our water and they park it in the Office of Environment and Heritage.

“The Premier… can give that water back to the people on the Murray and the Murrumbidgee.”

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview

Image: Getty/Robert Cianflone