THE Gillard government faces a fresh brawl with the eastern states over its Murray-Darling Basin plan after yesterday placating South Australia with a $1.7 billion pledge to inject extra water into the ailing river system.

The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and the Water Minister, Tony Burke, announced the new funding yesterday as a way to pump a further 450 billion litres back into the rivers - lifting the total amount returned through their basin rescue plan to 3200 billion litres.

Sceptical … Sue and Pat Kennedy in their cotton crop near Condobolin. They say they would be very careful about accepting government funding for infrastructure upgrades for fear of red tape. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The boost will come through infrastructure upgrades such as improved channels and dams, which aim to save water while softening the blow to farming communities that depend on irrigation.

''It means that the river, the basin, will be more resilient for the future,'' Ms Gillard said.