Murray-Darling Basin plan: threat of walkout averted with promise of review

New South Wales had said it would quit plan if state was not offered concessions on environmental water targets

The federal water minister, David Littleproud, appears to have averted a walkout from from the Murray-Darling Basin plan ahead of a crucial meeting in Brisbane to discuss possible concessions to cope with the drought.

New South Wales had threatened to walk away from the $13bn joint federal-state agreement if it did not receive relief from some targets it must reach under the plan. These include returning its share of 2,750GL of water to the environment to improve the river system's health.