A random survey of people living in the Murray-Darling Basin has found support for reallocating water from irrigators to Indigenous communities.

Key points: Around 70 per cent of respondents to a survey support allocating water to Indigenous communities in the Murray-Darling Basin

Around 70 per cent of respondents to a survey support allocating water to Indigenous communities in the Murray-Darling Basin Traditional owners say the support is encouraging

Traditional owners say the support is encouraging The National Irrigators Council supports the move, as long as it does not harm the sector

Around 2,700 people responded to a survey randomly sent to 30,000 people living in the basin by researchers from the Australian Rivers Institute at Griffith University.

Almost 70 per cent of respondents supported reallocating 5 per cent of total irrigation entitlements to Indigenous communities, with no preference for how that water should be used.

Sue Jackson from the Australian Rivers Institute said the results should be a wake-up call for policymakers.

"These results show very clearly that the public does see the legitimacy of Indigenous communities in water distribution issues in the Basin," Professor Jackson said.

"We want to communicate these results to government agencies, and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority."

Murray and Lower-Darling Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN) — a confederation of 24 traditional owner groups — said the research was encouraging.

"It shows government it can be confident that moving towards more widespread recognition of First Nations' water rights is going to receive widespread support, not just in cities, but within the Murray-Darling Basin itself," MLDRIN executive officer Will Mooney said.

He said 22 per cent of survey participants were even willing to pay a one-off household levy of $21 to acquire the water, which would have an aggregate value of $74.5 million.

That figure is almost double what the Australian Government has pledged to spend on the acquisition of water entitlements for Indigenous cultural and economic activities.

Federal Water Minister David Littleproud last year announced the Government would provide $40 million over four years.

Conditional support from irrigation sector

The National Irrigators Council has indicated support for greater Indigenous acquisition and control of water, as long as it did not harm the sector.

"We need to remember water is a property right … if the water is to be obtained from commercial irrigators then it needs to be purchased from those irrigators," CEO Steve Whan said.

Irrigated agriculture accounts for 70 per cent of water entitlements in the Murray-Darling Basin, and 40 per cent of Australia's agricultural production by value.

Cotton irrigation accounts for 20 per cent of agricultural water consumption in the Murray-Darling Basin. ( ABC Rural )

The council encouraged Indigenous groups to use future water acquisitions to participate in the industry.

"We very much welcome Aboriginal and First Nations people actually using irrigation entitlements to produce food and fibre, and being irrigators," Mr Whan said.

"We obviously wouldn't want to see water taken out of production because that would cost jobs in communities, but we are happy to work with government and Indigenous communities to achieve their legitimate aspirations as well."

Water rights in the Basin

There are more than 40 Aboriginal nations seeking to gain water rights in the Murray-Darling Basin.

MLDRIN said even if all traditional owners were granted Native Title over water that would not provide the same rights over water as an entitlement did.

"Native title restricts First Nations to use water for cultural, traditional, non-consumptive purposes," Mr Mooney said.

"That kind of water access isn't sufficient to underpin the economic development, livelihood, aspirations, or the cultural and environmental management rights that First Nations have."

As with irrigation entitlements, cultural water can only be accessed when it is flowing through the system.

"That's why governments need to support acquisition of water through the existing water market, to allow traditional owners to access real water entitlements," Mr Mooney said.