Climate change not the only problem: Abbott

The government's fixation with climate change means other environmental issues are being ignored, federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says.

Yesterday, Mr Abbott announced he would push for a Commonwealth takeover of the Murray-Darling river system and establish a "green army" to carry out large-scale environmental remediation work.

"I think I am a fair-dinkum environmentalist," he told reporters in Sydney on Friday.

"I have always thought that." Last year, Mr Abbott was slammed by the Rudd government after he suggested climate change was "crap".

He has since watered down his claim, but still says the government is too focussed on climate change.

"Climate change is important but it's not the only thing and I hope that I reminded Australians last night that climate change is not the only thing, and that Mr Rudd's preoccupation with climate change meant that he was neglecting other environmental problems, environmental problems that only Australians can fix."

The government has called Mr Abbott's policy "window dressing", a suggestion he rejects.

"So the government claims, does it, that Murray Darling water is not a serious problem, the government claims, does it, that we don't have an enormous task when it comes to environmental restoration, with feral animals, with exotic weeds ..."

Mr Abbott said the coalition would wait until 2013 before the Murray Darling was controlled by the Commonwealth.

"I think that a newly elected coalition government will have enormous political authority, and I'd like to give the states one final chance to refer full power to manage the Murray Darling Basin to the Commonwealth," he said.

"If they don't want to accept that opportunity, then I think we do need to proceed with a referendum, so that the Commonwealth clearly does have that power, but I don't lightly promise a referendum and I think that the states should be given one final chance to do the right thing."