South Australia says upstream states have agreed for modelling to be done of returning more environmental flows to the Murray-Darling river system.

SA Water Minister Paul Caica says the Murray-Darling Basin Authority will be asked to model a return of 3,200 gigalitres annually, which is 450 gigalitres more than proposed in the revised draft Basin plan.

The agreement on modelling has been reached at a meeting of state and federal water ministers in Canberra.

Mr Caica said South Australia had long been calling for the 3,200 gigalitres to be considered.

“This is a small but very positive step forward and it’s something we’ve been asking for for a period of time,” he said.

“We’re very pleased that the Ministerial Council today has requested the Murray-Darling Basin Authority to model that figure.”