Northern Australia is home to the world’s largest remaining tropical savanna, vast wetlands and intact coastlines. First Nations cultures have thrived for tens of thousands of years alongside what are the last of mainland Australia’s free-flowing rivers and ancient groundwater systems. From Cape York to Uluru, Kakadu to the Kimberley, these places and peoples are of global significance. But these places are under threat more than ever.

We are calling on the Commonwealth to end subsidies for water and water infrastructure for damaging industrial development such as large-scale irrigation and fracking in Northern Australia.

For too long, the dominant narrative of “Developing the North” has driven decision-making in the region, no matter the social, cultural or ecological cost. This agenda has funnelled substantial public funding and water give-aways into the pockets of multi-national corporations, enabling industrial irrigated agriculture and water mining, excessive land clearing, fractured gas mining (fracking), and other toxic mining practices. This harmful ‘development’ comes at the expense of communities, culture, and nature, and accelerates the climate catastrophe across the globe.

The North is one of Australia’s last strongholds against a toxic future. Help us end subsidies for water grabs and water infrastructure in northern Australia.