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Petition to Plibersek: The great Australian water grab

Across the Barkly and Central Australia, groundwater dependent ecosystems function as oases of the desert. The presence of shallow groundwater transforms arid land environments into woodlands and wetlands, which are sites of biodiversity, abundance and climate resilience. 

Groundwater dependent ecosystems also often carry significant cultural values, as sacred sites, meeting places, hunting grounds or places to collect bush medicines or bush foods. 

The future of these groundwater dependent water places is at a crossroads, and we need your help to avoid a Murray-Darling future where too much water is extracted and the Territory's landscapes and communities pay the price. 

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 or groundwater dependent landscapes across the Barkly and Central deserts. 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 and one of Australia's largest groundwater licences at Singleton Station is a key threat. These projects are 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 groundwater dependent landscapes and iconic savannas are 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 -:

  • 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 Northern Territory Government to implement an immediate moratorium on new water licensing and water allocations in the Roper system and Western Davenport Water Control District and land clearing permits on pastoral leases.
  • Announce a Royal Commission into water management, land clearing and deforestation in the NT and the impacts on the rights of Traditional Owners.
  • fund a First Nations-led governance project for the Roper catchment.

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

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Will you sign?

Dear Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek

I am writing to you asking for urgent action following the explosive and deeply concerning revelations in the ABC’s 4 Corner’s investigation into water management and land clearing in the Northern Territory. 

Urgent action is required before the Territory’s groundwater dependent landscapes and iconic savannas are 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: 

  • 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 Northern Territory Government to implement an immediate moratorium on new water licensing and water allocations in the Roper system and Western Davenport Water Control District and land clearing permits on pastoral leases.
  • A Royal Commission into water management, land clearing and deforestation in the NT and the impacts on the rights of Traditional Owners.
  • A Commonwealth-funded First Nations-led governance project for the Roper catchment.

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 or groundwater dependent landscapes across the Barkly and Central deserts. Recent revelations in the media found that the broken system 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 one of Australia's largest groundwater licences has been handed out at Singleton Station. 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, Ali Curung community members fighting for water justice wrote to you saying no to the Singleton Station groundwater licence. There is an urgent need to protect Country and groundwater dependent landscapes from one of Australia's largest groundwater licences at Singleton. The time for action is now!

Please act now to protect some of Australia’s true treasures - Central Australia and the Barkly's groundwater dependent landscapes and the free-flowing tropical rivers of our Top End.

Thank you

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