Irrigators have been demanding a halt to the Murray Darling Basin Plan for years, but the "Pause the Plan" meeting on Thursday was no ordinary get-together.
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It came at a moment in time just after the defeat of the Nationals at the hands of Helen Dalton and just before the Federal election, which is predicted to deliver a Labor government.
Hope clashed with fear at Thursday's meeting; fear of uncapped water buybacks under a Water Minister Tony Burke and hope that Mrs Dalton's unprecedented swing against the Nationals signalled the beginning of change for the region.
Independent candidate for Farrer Kevin Mack took the latter view; he came to the meeting smelling blood in the water, saying that the recent defeat of the Coalition at the hands of Mrs Dalton showed bush voters were finally fed up with the status quo.
"Helen Dalton will make a big difference in the NSW parliament over the next four years; give me that opportunity and I'll do the same," Mr Mack said.
But the mood in the room remained skeptical; one woman said she'd heard people complain about the MDBP for years, but had heard little by way of credible alternative.
"It's nice we've all come together, but I don't feel any satisfaction tonight. How are we going to get this through? What's your alternative? What's your solution?" she asked the panel.
She got a response of sorts from Wakool River Association chairman John Lolicato.
"There are solutions there, but you need time to work on the solutions," he said.
But a solution that satisfies all the states and parties has so far not been forthcoming.
Mrs Dalton did have a list of things she'd be demanding; proper monitoring of floodplain harvesting in the northern basin, a royal commission with "just terms", and an audit of environmental water to name a few.
It remains to be seen whether she will be able to deliver on these promises, but she said she was optimistic the government would sit up and take notice given the swing away from the Nationals in traditionally rusted-on seats like Murray.
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