It’s been almost a decade since the river at Kallara Station broke its banks and Justin McClure had to bypass his property by boat.

When there is no water in the river passing by his house, Justin looks north.

In the fourth and final episode of Forgotten River, we reach the upper end of the Darling, literally behind Bourke, next to cotton farmers accused of siphoning unsustainable water levels into huge dams. private.

Like many in Lower Darling, Justin takes a close look at proposed regulations regarding the development of floodplains.

And the key question is: will it stay within the ceiling set by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority?

The global demand for food is huge and we have the land to do it. We actually have everything we need, but the only key item we really need is water. Without water we will perish.

Justin McClure, Station Owner

Exploitation of floodplains involves the construction of berms and canals to direct water from floods to large dams and agricultural reservoirs for future use.

The New South Wales government has twice submitted its regulations to the New South Wales parliament and twice they have been rejected due to what opponents say is a lack of proper data.

There are also fears that licensing may only entrench a practice that prevents water from making its way into the river system.

You can listen to every episode of Forgotten River now, here, or by searching Forgotten river in Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.