this is the macintyre river. it's new south wales on one side, queensland here. e trees there are new south wales. and the point is the river is very small. the river has to flood out over this country, and i want it to be protected. this water is being intercepted. so when it comes out over this floodplain — it has to — it is just being intercepted, called floodwater and ta ken. but the longer you hold it, the more you can take. so that's what's happened to my family, it's just been held on us, our crops are all destroyed and the water does not continue into the river so for us to survive as farmers we just want the river to run. my neighbour can't get stock and domestic water. we're on a big river here that's running full steam within three kays, he can't get water. and they have been there for four generations. for years, as chris toiled with so—called dry—land cotton crops that rely purely on rainfall, he says a huge industrial—scale cotton farm was diverting water from the macintyre river into a network of channels and dams. you just can't turn communities of