Australia's Great Water Grab

The Northern Territory is known around the world for its iconic free-flowing rivers. But the future of these rivers is at a crossroads, and they need your help.

These rivers support the livelihoods of local communities, culture, and world-class tourism and fishing. The flows of the Roper River are essential to the health of endangered turtles and dugongs, as well as barramundi, prawn and crab industries in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The flow of the Roper relies on groundwater to feed the famous Mataranka and Bitter Springs – a world-renowned tourist haven that is now under threat.

The Northern Territory’s water laws are some of the worst in the country, and do not act to protect great rivers like the Roper and the Daly. Recent explosive media investigations have revealed just how bad the NT's management of its rivers and waterways is, riddled with illegalities and conflicts of interest. The bush is being bulldozed to make way for industrial scale cropping of thirsty cotton, facilitated by the NT Government as it bypasses or changes the laws, all the while ignoring the voices of communities who are crying out for it to stop.

Urgent action is required before the Territory’s iconic savanna is trashed, rivers are destroyed, and Traditional Owners rights are further undermined. We’ve seen the devastating impact of large-scale industrial cotton on rivers like the Murray Darling and can’t afford to have it repeated here.

Now is the time to act to protect our Territory river systems. Join the call for the Australian Government to take action.

If we are to have any hope of fixing this terribly broken system, we need urgent action from the Australian Government to:

enforce the NT Government’s compliance with Australia’s national water rules (the National Water Initiative) and call on the NT Government to declare a Moratorium on new water licences and clearing permits across the Roper catchment.
initiate a Royal Commission into water management, land clearing and deforestation in the NT and the impacts on the rights of Traditional Owners and
commit to a Commonwealth-funded First Nations-led governance project for the Roper.

Enough is enough. Act now to ensure that we do not lose what makes the Territory so special – our unique and special rivers.

Dear Minister Plibersek and Minister McCarthy,
I am writing to you asking for urgent action following the explosive and deeply concerning revelations in the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-19/water-grab/104244320">ABC’s 4 Corner’s investigation</a> into water management and land clearing in the Northern Territory. 
Urgent action is required before the Territory’s iconic savanna is trashed, rivers are destroyed, and Traditional Owners’ rights are undermined. We’ve seen the devastating impact of large-scale industrial cotton on rivers like the Murray Darling, and can’t afford to have it repeated here. Action must be taken now before it’s too late.
I am asking you to urgently support the growing calls from communities across the Territory by enacting the following: 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">pause the National Water Grid Authority funding to non-remote drinking water initiatives in the Northern Territory until the Water Act (NT) is compliant with the National Water Initiative, and support the NT government to declare a Moratorium on water licences in the Roper system and clearing permits across pastoral leases,</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">announce a Royal Commission into water management, deforestation and land clearing in the Northern Territory, and the impacts on the rights of Traditional Owners</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">fund a First Nations led water governance project for the Roper catchment. </li>
</ul>
The Northern Territory’s water laws are some of the worst in the country, and fail to protect great rivers like the Roper and the Daly. Recent<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-19/northern-territory-water-cotton-mataranka-springs-four-corners/104187666?fbclid=IwY2xjawEviZ5leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHadhm8d6z_ydOloE97JFwvXPDrmcmb9TtxZsB6-uxoMJHkmmQLaikv-uOg_aem_inRa8xUYW70CqWm0LQluhA"> revelations in the media found that the broken system</a> of water management in the NT lacks credibility and is riddled with conflicts of interest. Native vegetation is being bulldozed to make way for thirsty crops like cotton, and the NT Government are not just standing by - they’re actively changing the rules to make it easier to happen, all the while ignoring the voices of communities who are crying out for it to stop. 
Last year, delegates from across the 20,000 square kilometre Roper river catchment travelled for two days to Canberra to meet with federal parliamentarians, presented their shared vision for their river, and a way forward to work together on protecting water and Country. Nearly a year later, they are still waiting for a response. There are solutions to protect rivers that communities want to help drive, they now need backing from all levels of government.
Please act now to protect one of Australia’s true treasures - the free-flowing tropical rivers of our Top End.
Thank you

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