Paroo Shire mayor Jo Sheppard said automatic gauging stations upstream from Cunnamulla had not worked during the entire recent flood event and were in desperate need of being replaced.

In the absence of an automated river height monitoring system the Cunnamulla community had relied on reports from volunteers upstream to provide critical flood height information.

"One of the trends in agriculture is that there are less people living on properties so you can't always get a visual because people are not always there, and it is not fair on the individual and it is not fair on the community to be relying on that kind of set up," Cr Sheppard said.

Another flood height monitoring station upstream from Cunnamulla at Baker's Bend had not been working for more than two years, she said.

Cr Sheppard said the Paroo Council was trying to establish which government department was responsible for the gauges in question.

The Department of Environment (DERM) had recently taken over responsibility for a number of gauging stations around Queensland but not all, and it was unclear who had responsibility for the gauges upstream of Cunnamulla, Cr Sheppard said.

The cost of replacing the automatic river height stations is believed to be in the vicinity of $40,000 to $50,000.

"There is a cost, but if they can replace them council is happy to maintain them - they are a vital piece of infrastructure here," she said.

One of the most common concerns expressed by victims of recent flooding surrounded the speed of rising flood waters and the lack of people living in isolated areas of catchments to provide accurate information.