The New South Wales Government says it hopes its water ownership transparency bill will put an end to the politics on water, but it faces backlash from the Shooters, Farmers and Fishers Party.
The bill passed the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, but it will be debated in the Upper House.
It included the requirement that all 135 members of Parliament declare any water licences they owned and whether they traded water.
Water Minister Melinda Pavey said the bill would quash "conspiracy theories" about members of the Nationals being "great water barons".
"There is no conspiracy here, there's no secret water," she said.
"I don't think there is any National Party Member of Parliament that has any water that they are trading."
Ms Pavey said the Government would also commit to making information about the water entitlements of big corporate groups and large farm enterprises publicly available.
'Bill too narrow': Shooters
The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party unsuccessfully moved for amendments to be made to Ms Pavey's bill in the Lower House after arguing the bill was just a watered-down version of what it had proposed.
Member for Murray Helen Dalton called for politicians to be forced to disclose water entitlements owned by them and their spouses from the past five years.
But Minister Pavey argued the retrospectivity rule was redundant because politicians were already required to declare any significant water holdings they owned.
"In terms of the spouses, there are some genuine issues there," Ms Pavey said.
"Just because you are married, doesn't mean you run a business together.
"But can I make the point I don't think there is any spouse of any National Party Member of Parliament that's got water holdings."
Ms Dalton and Upper House MP Mark Banasiak reintroduced their competing bill on water ownership to State Parliament in May after it was delayed – and eventually expired – while Parliament was suspended during lockdown.
Ms Dalton said her party would continue to push for amendments to broaden the Government's bill when it is reviewed in the Upper House.
"I did introduce my bill at the end of last year and the National party spent a lot of time trying to block and delay my bill from going through," she said.
"The question I would have to ask is, in that six months, were people moving their water around?"
