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Western Davenport Water Plan allocates 92 percent of industrial uses of groundwater to catastrophic groundwater licence at Singleton Station

Northern Territory Environment Minister, Kate Worden, has declared the Western Davenport Water Allocation Plan 2024-2027 (WDWAP). The WDWAP allocates nearly 63 billion litres of water to the Central Plains Management Zone each year. This is about 1.4 times Darwin’s annual water supply.

The estimated sustainable yield (ESY) is not evidence based and allocates too much water.  It will result in the widespread destruction of groundwater dependent trees, soaks and wetlands which depend on shallow groundwater. Sacred sites are at risk and the salinity impacts put the long-term viability of the water resource at risk. 

This plan allocates more than twice the ESY of 27 billion litres allocated in the Western Davenport Water Allocation Plan 2011-2018. Whilst the ESY is reduced from the previous plan in 2021-2022, it still allocates far too much groundwater, this time with much less control as to how or where groundwater can be taken.

The plan allocates 43.5 billion litres to industry and a further 18.6 billion litres to the Aboriginal Water Reserve in the Central Plains annually. However, with already more than 50 billion litres of annual water entitlements to industrial uses of groundwater the Aboriginal Water Reserve cannot be fully accessed.

Ninety-two percent of the industry allocation goes to one proponent, the 40 billion litres to the ecosystem destroying Fortune Agribusiness groundwater licence at Singleton Station. Once again local people and ecosystems are left to pay the price for reckless decisions.

The WDWAP is a major step backwards:

  • As the three document format guts the statutory water plan of content; 
  • As it embeds the GDE guideline which allows 30% of the GDEs to be damaged or destroyed. This has no scientific basis. In earlier plans there was clear understanding that these ecosystems would be protected. 
  • It is further proof that water planning is “backsliding” as outlined last month by the Productivity Commission in its National Water Reform 2024 report.

Comments by Adrian Tomlinson, Chief Executive Officer, 

The Territory’s water laws are broken. The Singleton court case, while still subject to appeal, highlighted that plans are non-binding. We need an urgent amendment to the Territory’s water laws to ensure water allocation plans are binding. 

This plan establishes that a mistake was made in issuing the enormous and destructive Singleton Licence. It has taken water away from the Aboriginal Water Reserve as well as ecosystems. Once again local people are left suffering the costs. This licence is still subject to environmental impact assessment and needs to be stopped.

The plan unfortunately does not protect the environment.  It claims groundwater dependent ecosystems are protected yet it references a controversial guideline allowing 30% of groundwater dependent ecosystems to be damaged or destroyed. This guideline has to go.  In the upcoming election we are calling on all candidates to commit to protecting our precious arid zone arid zone groundwater dependent ecosystems.

Media Contact: Adrian Tomlinson, 0456 701 951

 

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