Say no to 10 billion litre a year water licence at Larrimah Farms

A controversial water license has been granted to Larrimah Farms Pty Ltd to grow water-hungry cotton, hay, melons and mangoes around the semi-arid outback town of Larrimah.

The disastrous plan will take 10,000 billion litres of water a year from the underground aquifer system that sustains the Roper River and the iconic springs of Elsey National Park, Rainbow and Bitter Springs.

We cannot let 10 billion litres of precious water be given to the cotton industry every year, while our environment and local communities dependent on the Roper River pay the price.

This is the largest licence in the Draft Mataranka Water Allocation Plan area, with a substantial impact on water supplies to communities including Larrimah and Ngukurr.

Communities are already seeing the dire impacts of water extraction, with springs turning green, and the land around the river looking drier than it’s ever looked.

This over extraction could harm the aquifer, causing dry season flows to the Roper River to stop.

The government should listen to communities and water scientists and stop any additional water extraction from the Roper River catchment and underground water that feeds it.

Email the Water Minister, Joshua Burgoyne, and the Water Resources Department now and urge them to reject this disastrous 10 billion litre/ year water licence.

Dear Minister Worden and NT Controller of Water Resources,

Reject the unsustainable Larrimah Farms water licence.

I am deeply concerned about the proposed 10 billion litre/year water licence for majority irrigated cotton at Larrimah Farms. If approved, this water licence will be the largest in the Draft Mataranka Water Allocation Plan area, with the majority of the water planned to irrigate cotton crops across 57% of the licence area. This is despite Larrimah Farms’ land clearing permits making no mention of irrigated cotton as a prospective crop in the semi-arid region.

The exact same water licence was revoked in 2021 following a merits review challenge by the ECNT and NLC. The government's own scientists warned that pumping too much water out of the ground at Larrimah could make the aquifer flow backwards, and the springs to stop flowing.

The science tells us that this water licence could have incredibly dire consequences for the places we love, as this underground water from Larrimah flows directly into the Roper River.We cannot let 10 billion litres of precious water be given to the cotton industry every year, while our environment and local communities dependent on the Roper River pay the price.

People have been giving a simple message up and down the Roper: no more water out. We’re already seeing the effects of water extraction at Mataranka and across the Territory. This level of increased extraction could impact water supplies at Larrimah and communities downstream on the Roper River, causing wetlands, billabongs and cultural places to dry up earlier, impacting wildlife and cultural activities. It could increase fire risk and impact dry season flows to the Roper River.

I urge you to stand with the community and not approve the 10 billion litre/year licence application at Larrimah Farms. The evidence is clear - this unsustainable amount of water extraction is not backed by science and should not be approved.

Regards,

I would like to BCC myself