Feel the risk
Out here in the Lower Balonne, water matters, and change brings challenges. Ageing weirs creak along, flows stop more often and can be hard to kick-start again, and changing rules add complexity. Carp muddy the system and push out native fish, while the heat keeps rising. Farmers juggle rising costs and uncertainty. Buybacks and social shifts are reshaping communities, and the water system was built without First Nations water rights. That is a lot at once, but there are opportunities too.
So with the weather and the farmers taking the water out, the water heights in the river systems here have decreased. It has changed. It has changed dramatic.
There are real challenges in the Lower Balonne, but opportunities too. By working together and drawing on evidence and local experience, it is possible to shape practical, locally tailored solutions. Trade-offs are unavoidable, but people are coming together, trialling solutions, and listening more closely. With respect, transparency, and collaboration, better and fairer outcomes are within reach.
Next: the choices ahead