Graziers, growers and the Greens have again found themselves allied against a Federal Government that appears unfriendly to farmers’ needs.

Irrigators have applauded Greens leader Christine Milne for setting up a Senate inquiry into rising electricity prices for agricultural users.

The inquiry will look at claim that energy network companies have been feeding false data to the Australian Energy Regulator to allow them to charge more.

The claim comes as power prices continue to rise, doubling for most states over the past seven years. In most of these increase, higher network charges have been the key factor.

In an interview this week with the ABC, the chief executive of the National Irrigators Council Tom Chesson, said he is only disappointed that the Senate committee will not be able to report until next March.

“I think the fact that we’ve even got this inquiry coming up is a good thing, and that's a minor whinge,” he said.

“But I probably would like a bit more of a sense of urgency in this issue because we need relief today, not in six months’ time.”

Meanwhile, a nationwide irrigation issues taskforce has detailed ways that state and federal governments could deliver a pledged 30 per cent reduction in electricity prices.

Proposals include better scrutiny of the Energy Regulator’s price determination process, grants for energy audits on farms and other suggestions.