Government water reforms have worsened the effects of the drought, according to a senior water researcher.

Key points: On a Q&A episode dedicated to discussing the drought, there was criticism of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan

On a Q&A episode dedicated to discussing the drought, there was criticism of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan Maryanne Slattery said the plan is a "train wreck" and water policies were leaving the dairy industry on its knees

Maryanne Slattery said the plan is a "train wreck" and water policies were leaving the dairy industry on its knees But Water Minister David Littleproud said a return to buybacks policy was not an option

On a Q&A episode that focused on a wide range of perspectives about the drought, Maryanne Slattery, from the Australia Institute, said water reforms, including the water market and the Murray-Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) have "made things worse".

"I think that governments have exacerbated this drought," Ms Slattery said.

She was responding to a video question from Victorian dairy farmer Natalie Akers, from Tallygaroopna, who said the MDBP had created a "man-made drought", leading to the loss of thousands of jobs in northern Victoria — an area responsible for the production of 80 per cent of milk in the basin.

"The dairy industry is on its knees and it's got very little time left," Ms Slattery said, going on to provide "evidence" of government mismanagement.

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"We've had increased extractions in the northern basin with the increase of flood-plain harvesting," she said.

"We've got changes to the Barwon-Darling water sharing plan, which take all of the water in the river at low flows.

"The Government drained Menindee Lakes in 2016-17 and has never been able to give an explanation as to why they drained the lakes when there was flooding in South Australia.

"We've got the construction of big new dams in the Murrumbidgee which are designed to capture flows that naturally would come out of the Murrumbidgee and underwrite the reliability of water licences in the Murray.

"And last year, we saw the flooding of the Barmah-Millewa forest for operational reasons to push water down for almonds at the end of the system that otherwise could have been used to grow fodder for dairy and cows."

David Littleproud, Federal Minister for Water Resources and Drought, said they could have ended up with a plan that was far worse for producers.

He said the Government could not return to buyback schemes, as they "decimated … towns".

"Those things destroy communities," he said.

"I'm as popular as the pox in places but I can look people in the eye and say 'I'm not going to leave you a legacy that's worse than is there now'."

Water Minister David Littleproud said there had been disagreements about water policy going back to Federation. ( Supplied: Arron Hage )

Mr Littleproud said the Murray-Darling Basin Authority only managed the water and sent it downstream on behalf of the state governments who have had arrangements going back for generations.

He said since Federation, states had not been able to agree on their responsibilities in delivering water.

Fiona Simson, president of the National Farmers Federation, said giving water to the environment was hurting farming communities.

"That's why we're seeing so much stress and angst because it's actually removing water from one industry, from agriculture, from growing food and fibre, and it's contributing it to the environment," she said.

Water Minister David Littleproud said the Government would not be returning to water buyback schemes. ( ABC News: Q&A )

"What's compounding it is because there's no actual water coming into the system, then in actual fact you can't see the water anywhere."

Ms Simson defended the MDBP, saying it was a plan that brought people together to talk, bringing science, data and facts into the debate.

"It's working much better than every man and himself and everybody for themselves, which is what we've had since Federation," she said.

But Ms Slattery rebutted, saying the MDBP was "a train wreck".

"We're not going to get better while we keep sitting here and pitching the environment against irrigators," she said.

"And allowing these really big problems in implementation to continue without being honest about them."