The field trip included a behind the scenes look into water management in the northern Basin, forming part of a broader informal mentoring program for the LBRT.
The roundtable is an instrumental form of engagement. It brings together local, state and federal governments, water agencies, and community stakeholders to address local water-related issues and progress the roll-out of the Northern Basin Toolkit measures.
The field trip was the first of 3 tours planned for the coming months, giving the new LBRT members the opportunity to learn about the management and operation of the Lower Balonne system.
Together with representatives from the MDBA, Sunwater, Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water (DRDMW), Inspector-General of Water Compliance (IGWC), and Balonne Shire Council, the assembly visited 3 key pieces of water infrastructure: Beardmore Dam, Jack Taylor Weir, and Mallawa Water Station.
As part of these visits, members heard from the each of the representatives on the significance of these assets and how important it is to work collaboratively in water management.
Beardmore Dam
Beardmore Dam (82 GL) is the major water storage for the St George Water Supply Scheme, providing water supply for the township of St George and for the irrigation of cotton, wheat, grapes, melons, peanuts and a number of other small crops in the region. During their visit to the dam, members heard about:
- The history of the dam, licences, Mallawa diversion, and capacity
- Water harvesting
- How flows are managed
- How environmental water is allocated
Jack Taylor Weir
Jack Taylor Weir and Andrew Nixon Bridge were developed to fairly distribute low flows from Beardmore Dam and allow travellers to cross the Balonne River at the southern entrance to St George in Queensland. Here, members learned about:
- The importance of the Beardmore Dam and Jack Taylor Weir for town water security and tourism
- How Sunwater and DRDMW use the weir
- How the downstream bifurcation weirs operate
Mallawa Water Station
During their visit to the Mallawa Water Station, the group had the opportunity to get an in-depth understanding of how the Mallawa St George Irrigation Scheme operates. The scheme comprises 112 kilometres of pipelines and channels, between the Balonne River and Buckinbah pump station. It distributes water to around 50 customers, irrigating 10,000 hectares of land.
The next LBRT will be held in St George later this month, with members joining in person and online.