In the report it was recommended that any agricultural expansion in Northern Australia be on a "patchwork" system, where small areas of agriculture are developed which rely on wet season rain for irrigation. The report strongly recommended that dams not be built for irrigation purposes.

The report has bought strong reaction from industry groups and opposition political parties and Minister for Agriculture Tony Burke used Question Time last week to distance himself from the findings of the task force. The Minister made it clear the Government will, while noting the report, continue to consider dam and weir developments in the north.

"Where they are appropriate and where they are sustainable, the Federal Government does not in any way rule those things out. There are significant new opportunities in the north and a lot more can be done there than is currently being done," Mr Burke said.

But the former head of the Northern Australia Land and Water Task Force, Senator Bill Heffernan, said he would push for a Senate inquiry into its final report, which was released this week. He said he was "distressed, disappointed and disgusted" by the report and its lack of answers.

Leader of the Nationals Warren Truss has accused Labor of replacing independent experts with "bureaucrats and greenies" on the Northern Australia Land and Water Task Force.

Mr Truss also said the task force's approach was influenced by Labor's ideological opposition to building dams.

The report finds the land available to groundwater irrigation in the north is up to 60,000 hectares, only 2 percent of the land available for food in the Murray Darling Basin.

Member for Kennedy Bob Katter asked Mr Burke: "Would the minister not agree that the task force verdict on Northern Australia - no water - has led to Australia's verdict on the task force: no brains?"