Basin plan harming farmers: Madigan

A key Senate crossbencher is fed up with doubtful government assurances that everything is fine with Murray-Darling Basin communities.

Independent John Madigan says it's become obvious from a Senate inquiry into the basin plan that farmers are in crisis and the plan is based on false science.

"The government must listen to our farmers - the basin plan is not working (and) in fact, it is harming country communities with no discernible improvement to the environment," he said in a statement on Friday.