Day 8

To Toowooba via Lockyer Valley
After one night sleeping in Brisbane, we continued our study tour in the morning, 7th July to Toowoomba. It was raining when we started out, so it was a little bit later when we arrived at Forest Hill-the first destination of today’s traveling.

Mr.Peter, our tutor and new driver in this trip

Farm land visit
At Forest Hill, we visited farm land in the Locker Valley Irrigation area. The land owner Mr. Linton Brimblecombe, chair of the Locker Water Users Forum and director of the SEQ Catchments (Regional Body), told us some general information related to the topics of ‘Managing over-exploited groundwater resource’, and ‘acquiring new water source-recycled sewage water pumped from Brisbane’. He has nearly 600 ha of irrigated farm land, and employs 4 people. We were surprised that he is so acquainted with the knowledge of water resources and involved in all kinds of activities in this field enthusiastically, especially participating in the affairs of the governments and communities in the water resources management.

photo with Mr. Linton Brimblecomb

Toowoomba Regional Council visit
In Toowoomba Regional Council, Mr. Paul Antonio, Deputy Mayor of the Toowoomba City; and Mr. Kevin Flanagan, Director of the Water and Waste Water Services gave us a warm welcome. Mr. Paul Antonio introduced the brief situation of the Toowoomba Regional Council. After that, Mr. Kevin Flanagan gave us a presentation ‘Local government and urban water supply and management’.

photo with Deputy Mayor Paul Antonio

Passmore Reserve on the Condamine River visit
Finishing our quick lunch at Grand Central Shopping Centre, we went to the Passmore Reserve on the Condamine River. At the spot, Miss Francine Holt, a Condamine Alliance Corporate Partnerships Officer, presented us ‘River Rescue and Demonstration Reach Projects, riparian rehabilitation, school and community involvement, view indigenous artifact ‘.

visit Passmore Reserve in the rain

Water quality in the Condamine River
After check-in at the Clifford Gardens Motor Inn, Mr. Graeme Wockner and Mr. Dave Waters gave us a presentation with the topic of ‘Water quality issues in Condamine-Balonne river system’. The Condamine-Balonne Water Committee has been set up since 1981 to run a community-based monitoring program to detect pollutants that might have entered water supplies through agriculture and other industries.

photo with Mr. Graeme Wockner and Mr. Dave Waters

A palatable dinner
After another busy and exhausting day, it is always great to have supper together and have a few laughs. Tonight, we found the West Lake Restaurant fortunately where we tasted a traditional Chinese food - wonderful.

pleased dinner in the West Lake Restaurant


By Zhu Jie & Li Gaolun