THE draft Murray-Darling Basin Plan will be released for comment in November.

The Murray Darling Basin Authority's chairman Craig Knowles said this morning more time was needed to develop the plan.

In a statement he said he had written to the states about working together on the plan because their roles were critical.

"They have decades of knowledge and they will continue to be partners in the implementation of the plan into the future," he said.

"We want to get on with the job and get the draft plan on public exhibition. 

"That's why I've proposed that it'll be 'pens down' in mid-October, to allow a few short weeks to finalise our collective endeavours, get our work to the printers, and have the draft ready for exhibition in November, followed by 20 weeks of consultation."

He said the plan needed to be balanced and respect communities.

"Getting the best out of every drop is what this is all about," he said. 

"There is no perfect number, and there are lots of solutions that go way beyond buying water.

"We need to incorporate infrastructure, adopt more effective and efficient rules about water management, build environmental works to manage water smarter and, most of all, we need all of the governments of Australia to work together."