MURRAY-Darling Basin water ministers must “draw a line in the sand” and return water by “proven methods”, says the chief executive of Environment Victoria, after a report noted environmental water recovery by efficiency projects could fall short by over 50 per cent.

Jono La Nauze said it was getting to “extreme levels of urgency” for the environment and all Basin water ministers had to show they would not delay meeting water recovery targets beyond 2024.