New alliance to protect Queensland’s Channel Country Rivers

Queensland’s Channel Country Rivers are among the great natural river systems remaining on Earth. Flowing thousands of kilometres inland towards Australia’s iconic outback lakes such as Lake Eyre. The flooding of these rivers triggers a spectacular burst of life with pelicans, gulls and terns descending from the sky for yellow-bellied fish and fingerlings. As the flood waters enter the salt-encrusted basin at the end of the line they also bring hope to grazing, fisheries and tourism industries.

The Channel Country Rivers (Georgina River, Diamantina River and Cooper’s Creek) provide 90% of all the water that flows into Lake Eyre. Although these rivers only occasionally flood, the lakes and naturally irrigated grasslands of the flood-outs are key breeding sites for a large proportion of Australia’s waterbirds, including graceful pelicans.

The Lake Eyre Basin covers 1/6th of the entire land mass of Australia, over 110 million hectares of arid and semi-arid country. At 15m below sea level, Lake Eyre is the lowest point in the country.

Rivers at risk

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Queensland’s important river systems bring such life but increased water extraction (particularly irrigation proposals) and contamination from mine sites pose serious threats, In response, grazier and conservation groups have launched a powerful alliance calling for permanent river protection.

The alliance includes the Australian Floodplain Association, the Cooper’s Creek Protection Group, the Pew Environment Group and The Wilderness Society,

Permanent protection is critical

Our groups strongly believe that permanent protection of the Channel Country Rivers - Cooper’s Creek, the Diamantina and Georgina - is vital for Western Queensland’s local communities and the environment.

• We have called on Queensland’s next Government to demonstrate strong national leadership on river protection and work with the local community and conservationists to ensure this happens.
• We do not want a repeat of the ecological and economic mistakes of the Murray-Darling Basin. These are magnificent rivers that are a critical part of Australia’s heritage.

Let the rivers flow

Reductions in flows of these rivers would have serious impacts on national populations of waterbirds, plus many arid zone birds and mammals. It would also reduce the quality and extent of pastures for the local beef industry, which rely heavily on naturally flooded pastures.   

A way forward needed

This new alliance is seeking commitments from all of Queensland’s major political parties to protect these precious rivers.
Specifically, the alliance is seeking confirmation that:

• There will be permanent legislative protection beyond the 10 year cycle of planning under the Water Act 2000 (Qld);
• There is no new large-scale water extraction in the catchments (this does not preclude necessary supplies for stock, domestic and town use);
• New dams and weirs be prohibited within major rivers, creeks, and tributaries;
• Unused licenses be withdrawn;
• Water trading is ruled out; and
• Those interceptions of overland flows of waters are precluded - except for small scale developments necessary for domestic and stock purposes.

Related information

View the media release, "Graziers and conservationists call on Queensland parties to protect Channel Country Rivers"