TOLARNO Station dryland farmer Robert McBride has labelled the Murray-Darling Basin "the worst man-made disaster in Australian history" and says a royal commission into the plan is needed before the river system "collapses completely".

Mr McBride said calls to "can the plan" would only set irrigators and farmers back 20 years and instead "effective policing" of the Darling and Murray rivers should be addressed as a necessity.