ENVIRONMENT Victoria says it is deeply disappointed by the new Murray-Darling Basin plan, saying it will not restore either river to health.
Chief executive Kelly O'Shanassy said the plan, unveiled by federal Environment Minister Tony Burke on Thursday, was a huge missed opportunity to fix the overuse of water on the Murray-Darling basin.
"It was our big chance to provide a sustainable future for the rivers and their communities and the plan presented by Minister Burke today fails this basic test," she said in a statement.
"The Basin Plan does not return enough water to rivers to protect their environmental values in the long term – it returns only enough water to meet a little over half of the environmental objectives set for the river system."
Ms O'Shanassy said state and federal governments must continue to work over the next few weeks to lock in the extra 450 GL and give the plan a chance of success.
"Australia needs a Basin Plan that returns the Murray River, the lifeblood of millions of Australians, to health," she said.
"The plan unveiled today falls well short of this goal and needs significant improvement to give the Murray a chance in the next drought."