Hunter wasn't drunk during dinner: Neville

Victorian Water Minister Lisa Neville says her South Australian counterpart Ian Hunter definitely wasn't drunk when he used foul language at a dinner ahead of a meeting to discuss the Murray River rescue plan.

Ms Neville admits the dinner on Thursday night "certainly got quite firey at times" and was "robust".

But the Victorian Labor MP on Monday said Mr Hunter "absolutely was not" drunk when he abused her and others.

"It was relatively early in the meal," Ms Neville told ABC radio in Melbourne.

"We were enjoying some South Australian wine ... but had had very modest amounts."

Ms Neville said she told Mr Hunter the following day he'd overstepped the mark "and he offered me what I think was a very sincere apology which I accepted at the time".

It's been reported Ms Neville was the main target of Mr Hunter's abuse and that he called her a "c***".

Ms Neville on Monday said she wasn't intimidated by the outburst and it didn't make her change her position regarding the need to protect Victorian river communities.

Mr Hunter has since apologised for using strong language which was also directed at Acting Prime Minister and federal Water Resources Minister Barnaby Joyce.