"Despite continued assurances that socio-economic impacts of the Basin Plan have been incorporated into the Murray Darling Basin Authority's modelling, the final reduction figure of 2750GL proves this is not the case," Broad says.

VFF modelling has calculated one job for every 95 million litres of water in an irrigation community.

"According to our modelling, around 6600 Victorian jobs could be slashed just on the basis of the 627GL of local reductions alone."

Broad says not only has the MDBA listed a series of cuts to the surface water entitlements of Victorian irrigators, but their groundwater entitlements are also under attack.

"Through dry periods, groundwater has been vital to the continuation of agricultural production."

He says the MDBA's "shared reduction" strategy added an extra layer of uncertainty to the Plan.

"In presenting the downstream component of the plan as a "shared reduction" – which can be acquired from anywhere in the southern connected system – rural communities are still left in the dark as to how much their catchment stands to lose.

"For the southern connected system, a cut of 971GL is the equivalent of closing down every irrigation farm in the region between Boort and Shepparton. A cut of this size will devastate businesses and jobs across rural Victoria."

Broad says more than 1000GL of Victorian irrigator entitlement has already been conceded to environmental requirements since the mid 2000s.

"There is a better way than stripping more water and jobs from rural communities. The VFF has fought unrelentingly for the shared reduction volume of water to be achieved through irrigation efficiency and environmental infrastructure works and measures.

Broad says the inquiry led by Tony Windsor identified the potential to recover 1776 GL of water through more efficient delivery of environmental water.

"The MDBA should seek to recover this water, not take more away from food production. The buyback of Victorian irrigator entitlement should cease and the draft plan scrapped until a balanced outcome is guaranteed," Broad says.