At its final meeting for 2024, the Condamine Catchment Management Association (CCMA) tackled a big question: how healthy is the water in our rivers?
Guest speaker Dr Paul Webb led the discussion on water quality in the Condamine Catchment.
Using decades of data, maps, legislation and monitoring reports, Dr Webb explored what we know – and what we don’t – about the state of our waterways.
“I looked at water quality in rivers in general, how land use affects it, and how current data compares to the targets set by the Queensland Government,” Dr Webb said.
His conclusion?
The Condamine Catchment scores a 3 out of 5 – a “Fair” result.
But his confidence in that rating is low.
Dr Webb praised the efforts of the Condamine Balonne Water Committee (CBWC), a volunteer group that has been collecting water quality data for decades.
More than half of the public data he analysed came from CBWC monitoring, which is supported by local councils and the Queensland Government.
But the future of this work is uncertain, with funding and volunteer support under pressure.
Looking ahead, Lucy Sevil (right) from the Murray Darling Basin Authority will visit Pittsworth to speak at the next CCMA meeting.
She will provide an update on the Basin Plan’s progress and how it relates to water quality and quantity in the Condamine.
The public meeting will be held at 9.30am on Wednesday the 18th of June at 125 Spring Street, Pittsworth.
This article appeared in Allora Advertiser, 4 June 2025.
