MINING on its floodplains and irrigation along its rivers pose the greatest threat in decades to Australia's largest lake, an advocacy group warns.
Lake Eyre Basin is under the spotlight after the Queensland government's decision to rewrite legislation protecting the Channel Country rivers that feed it.
A three-day conference began on Monday in Longreach with delegates focussed on the health of the basin's river systems, and industries such as grazing and tourism.
Conference organiser Terry Korn, president of the Australian Floodplains Association, says mining and irrigation pose the gravest threat to the Lake Eyre Basin.
"The Murray Darling Basin should be a lesson to us all," Mr Korn told AAP.
The federal government is spending almost $12 billion of taxpayers' money to partly correct the mistakes that have been made there.
"We don't want to go down a path in the Lake Eyre Basin that ends up having the same mistakes being made."
Mr Korn said communities do not want irrigation along the Channel Country rivers which fill the lake, or mining along the flood plains.
Even small-scale irrigation along the system should not be tolerated, he said.
"Experience tells us in the Murray Darling basin and other systems throughout the world that from little things, big things grow.
"You end up with a larger irrigation system and a then a compromised ecological system and in this case large scale organic beef production being compromised as well."
Natural Resources and Mines Minister Andrew Cripps says the Western Rivers Advisory Panel will report to him by the end of March on a fresh approach for the future management of the Cooper, Diamantina and Georgina Rivers.
"The Newman government will then make an informed decision on a balanced approach to river management that will preserve the environmental values of this unique part of Queensland as well as grow the economy in western Queensland," Mr Cripps said.
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