Senate calls for Murray investigation

The Senate has called for an independent judicial inquiry into allegations of water theft from the Murray Darling basin.

An unlikely grouping of South Australian senators - Labor, the Greens, Nick Xenophon Team, conservative Cory Bernardi and independent Lucy Gichuhi - moved the motion in the upper house on Wednesday raising concerns a NSW investigation into the allegations was "insufficient".

The motion passed the Senate and will be put to the lower house.