PRESSURE over the declining health of Australia's rivers has been thrown back on the states, with federal Water Minister Penny Wong using the announcement of $3.1 billion in environmental flows to highlight the plight of rivers such as Melbourne's Yarra. The $3.1 billion for buying back water entitlements in the Murray-Darling is part of $12.9 billion for water in next month's federal budget. The plan has received mixed reactions, with environment groups saying more should have been spent on buy-backs and Irrigation Australia calling for a bigger proportion to be spent on irrigation upgrades than the promised $5.8 billion. Senator Wong acknowledged the plan did not enjoy unanimous support. "But what everyone does seem to agree on is that action must be taken to restore our rivers and our wetlands to health," she said. She then turned the focus on the states, saying the Murray-Darling was not the only river system suffering from declining health or over-allocation. "This problem is not unique to the Murray-Darling, it is a problem that exists in other rivers too