Index to Lower Balonne Environmental Condition Reports

Dr Lee Benson's Portfolio
Lower Balonne Environmental Condition Report - Survey of Oct 2000
Lower Balonne Ecological Condition Report - Survey of Nov 2001
Lower Balonne Ecological Condition Report - Survey of May 2002
Lower Balonne Aquatic Ecological Condition Report - Survey of Nov 2003
Lower Balonne Aquatic Ecological Condition Report - Survey of May 2004
Lower Balonne Aquatic Ecological Condition Report - Survey of November 2004
Lower Balonne Aquatic Ecological Condition Report - Survey of May 2005
Lower Balonne Aquatic Environmental Review Of Data (2000 - 2005)
Lower Balonne Aquatic Ecological Condition Report - Survey of November 2006

Courier Mail Perspectives Column
...Would you invest in Queensland if you knew the State Government has the power to be able to ‘pull the plug’ on your enterprise with no sound justification? How would you react if you had expanded your business in accordance with Queensland law, only to have the whole thing taken away?...
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CUBBIE Says latest Developments Great News for the Local Community

In their first statement since the visit of the Premier to Dirranbandi last Thursday, the Directors of Cubbie Station have described yesterday’s announcement by the Federal Government that it will not provide funding to assist the Queensland Government in its planned purchase of Australia’s largest and most successful cotton producer as "great news for the people of Dirranbandi and St George".
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CUBBIE Station's Water and Environmental Practices "As Good As Any in Australia" Say Experts

The managers of Cubbie Station, as responsible agriculturists, reiterate our commitment to "look after the land and water resources of this nation."
As such, we have for some time involved science to assist in establishing benchmarks for the Balonne River system and we now call on the Government for open dialogue in which we will be only too willing to share the considerable accumulated knowledge we have of the environment in which we live and work.

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Cullen Review Critique and Smartrivers Comments

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Government Vindicates Industry WAMP Stance

The St George Water Harvesters and the Dirranbandi District Irrigators Associations commissioned ecological studies on the Lower Balonne after the Department of Natural Resources released their findings that the Lower Balonne was in a state of degradation.
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Hydrology Checks

This study arises from a request from the Dirranbandi District Irrigators Association and the St George Water Harvesters Association to examine the hydrology of the Lower Balonne.
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Key Points of the Cullen Report

Department of Natural Resources and Mines 23/01/03

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Lower Balonne Community Reference Group Proposal

3 September 2003

[click here to download] (78 KBytes)


Press Release 

The Dirranbandi District Irrigators Association and the St George Water Harvesters Association are totally opposed to the compulsory acquisition of Cubbie Station as an attempt to rectify the perceived "over allocation" of water entitlements in the Lower Balonne.

We believe that, should accurate and appropriately interpreted science show that reductiuons are necessary, all licences on the system should share the pain. However, we consider it a major injustice to single out one family to bear the entire burden.
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Review Of Science Underpinning the Assessment of the

Ecological Condition at the Lower Balonne System

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Risk Assessment Report

This report was commissioned by Smartrivers Inc in order to:

  • provide an up to date assessment of the current ecological condition of the Lower Balonne River system;

  • assess the risks posed to aquatic ecology through current and potential future water resource development;

  • place that risk within the context of all risks to aquatic ecology within the region;

  • provide the basis for development of a flow management plan.

Smartrivers represents the interests of the St George Irrigators Association and the Dirranbandi Water Harvesters Association.
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Socio-Economic Impact Assessment
Conadmine-Balonne WAMP

prepared by PriceWaterHouseCoopers
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(2.0 MBytes)


Submission To Queensland Government In Response To
Draft Condamine-Balonne WAMP

[click here to download] (0.4 MBytes)


Summary of Points Discussed by Dr. Lee Benson, 
Ecology Management P/L, 16 July 2002

...In summary, some components of the Governments strategy are sensible, particularly those related to increasing water use efficiency. 
For example construction of deeper storages, the sizing of those storages to maximize amalgamation efficiencies and the siting of those storages to minimise leakage, could potentially save a significant volume of water. Irrigator groups have previously expressed a willingness to reduce water extractions if this is shown also to be necessary....
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Surber Experimental Report

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Dr. Lee Benson's Portfolio

Lee is a consulting ecologist and project manager with over 20 years post-graduate experience. His prime area of interest is freshwater ecology and the sustainable management of river systems. Lee has worked on streams, rivers, lakes and wetlands in a variety of geographic locations ranging from Sydney to Papua New Guinea to the Ord River.
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Lower Balonne Environmental Condition Report

Survey of Oct 2000
prepared by Sinclair Knight Merz
[click here to download] (1.0 MBytes)


Lower Balonne Ecological Condition Report

Survey of Nev 2001

[click here to download] (1.0 MBytes)


Lower Balonne Ecological Condition Report 
Survey of May 2002

This report represents the fourth in a series recording the results of monitoring events sponsored by stakeholder organizations in the Lower Balonne. The Department of Natural Resources and Mines conducted similar sampling programs in April and November 2001 and they have made their data available for use in this report.
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Lower Balonne Aquatic Ecological Condition Report

Survey of November 2003

[click here to download] (1.6 MBytes)


Lower Balonne Aquatic Ecological Condition Report - May 2004

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Lower Balonne Aquatic Ecological Condition Report - November 2004

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Lower Balonne Aquatic Ecological Condition Report - May 2005

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Lower Balonne Aquatic Environmental Review of Data 2000 - 2005

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Lower Balonne Aquatic Ecological Condition Report - November 2006

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