For more than 65,000 years, Aboriginal people have held a deep connection to land and water. This knowledge has been built through care, observation and cultural practice. But for generations, they have been excluded from decisions about managing Country.
The Flow-MER Program is helping to change that. It is making Aboriginal partnership and knowledge sharing essential to understanding water and its management.
In the Lower Balonne, this is being realised through working with our partner, the Dharriwaa Elders Group and their River Rangers. We also work with two other partners. These are the Narran Lakes Nature Reserve Joint Management Committee and the Queensland Murray-Darling Catchments River Rangers. Together, we are building relationships that support Aboriginal people to care for Country.
Our first 18 months have focused on something simple, but powerful. Spending time together. Through shared experiences, trust has grown, and knowledge has flowed in both directions.
Two On Country field trips took partners along the Lower Balonne from St George to Narran Lakes. These were held in May and November 2025. The trips were more than site visits. They were opportunities to exchange perspectives, blending Western science and water management with cultural knowledge that has guided caring for Country for millennia.
River Rangers have played a vital role in this journey. Members of the Dharriwaa Elders Group have taken part in fish monitoring and sampling, and waterbird surveys. The Queensland Murray-Darling Catchments River Rangers also joined fish sampling efforts in 2025. These activities are strengthening skills, building confidence, and creating a shared understanding of river and wetland health.
Collaboration is continuing beyond the field through Cultural Network meetings, Narran Lakes Open Days, and joint research initiatives. This includes a proposed study into brolga ecology across the Northern Basin. These efforts reflect a growing recognition of Aboriginal knowledge as essential to caring for Country.
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To hear more about this work, listen to the recent First Nations webinar: Practitioner guide to working with First Nations Peoples. It includes a presentation by Lower Balonne Flow-MER Lead Associate Professor Kate Brandis and Cultural Advisor Zoe Sands.
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