Federal water minister Keith Pitt announced changes which would see MDBA staff combined with the Basin Inspector-General's office which would focus on compliance, and an end to water buybacks.

Ricegrower John Bonetti says now is the time to focus on food security and for agriculture to help restart the nation's economy.

"It's a welcome change, let's get back to farming," Mr Bonetti said.

"Coronavirus has proved how much the world can be wrecked when everything stops. Irrigated agriculture can help get the country's economy going.

"We're going to run out of rice by Christmas, other countries have stopped exporting their rice. We can provide food security when we have the water."

Mr Bonetti said strong regulations were needed in the Basin for all water users.

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"Most people do the right thing, but for the one person who does the wrong thing, they need to come down on them like a tonne of bricks," he said.

"We all have to wear the consequences of their actions."

He said people working around compliance should have local knowledge and an understanding of commodity prices.

"It's making sure the water is being used in the right places and for the right reasons."

The changes have also been welcomed by the Ricegrowers' Association of Australia.

The RGA, together with many other bodies and groups has long campaigned for a more adaptive and flexible approach to the implementation of the Basin Plan.

"We also encourage Minister Pitt and Basin states to further consider and implement recommendations from the reviews already completed and those currently underway," RGA president Rob Massina said.

"The review of the National Water Initiative and the ACCC Review of Water Markets will show that there is more to be done."

Member for Murray Helen Dalton was excited to hear the news of no further water buybacks.

"I've campaigned for three years to end buybacks, so this announcement is a huge win," Mrs Dalton said.

"Losing water has destroyed our communities, we can't afford to have more taken away."

Mrs Dalton said she would continue to fight for a royal commission.

"Splitting the MDBA seems a good move. You shouldn't be marking your own homework," she said.

"It's now urgent that government address the massive unmeasured, unregulated water take in the northern basin to ensure our communities and rivers remain healthy."

Murrumbidgee Irrigation CEO Brett Jones welcomed the news, and said future success depended on a commitment to infrastructure upgrades.

"Buyback is a blunt instrument that hurts communities and any further recovery should only be taken through water savings projects and infrastructure upgrades," he said.

"Investment in infrastructure programs supports communities and will enable us to continue to be as efficient as possible and improve our water management."

Mr Jones said that MI had always, and will continue to, support the "triple bottom line outcomes" of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

"We all want healthy rivers, healthy communities and a continuing capacity to produce food and fibre for the nation," he said.

"The best way of achieving this is by implementing the Plan and getting on with the SDL projects that will provide over 600GL of benefit to the environment."