In Queensland’s south-west on the Lower Balonne River System, the communities of St George and Dirranbandi are fighting for their future, as the Queensland Government uses stealth and deception to try and claw-back water from the region.

The battle began several years ago when the Queensland Government used incorrect data to brand the Lower Balonne as a ‘severely degraded’ river. The Beattie Government has continued to peddle the propaganda in its dirty and unjustified campaign to take water from the community.

Lower Balonne irrigators, united under the banner of Smartrivers, recently scored a victory with Australia’s most eminent fresh water ecologist Professor Peter Cullen contradicting the Government and agreeing with Smartrivers’ scientific research that the Lower Balonne is in fact a healthy river.

But with the ink not even dry on the Cullen Report the State Government has once again chosen to up the ante and with no consultation what-so-ever has hit water harvesters with a new water charge.

As the water debate escalates, you can follow the links on this website to gain a better understanding and perspective of the history behind the debate, through to the latest developments, along with the scientific reports and facts and figures. How you interpret the facts and the conclusions you reach are up to you, Smartrivers is simply offering you the information you need to make your own well-informed decision.