Daly River
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Political parties announce no new dams on major rivers
Learn moreAll major NT political parties have now listened and committed to what communities have long been calling for – no dams on iconic rivers like the Daly and Roper.
This important, historic step from all sides of politics towards protecting our rivers is thanks to thousands of people like you, who have asked parties and candidates to commit to:
- No new dams on the Daly and Roper rivers
- Increased community decision-making over water issues
- Strong laws that protect our rivers
See the headline responses from the parties below.
Country Liberal Party
The Country Liberal Party categorically say no to dams in flowing rivers.
Territory Labor
Territory Labor will ensure there will be no dams on the Daly and Roper rivers … with specific regulations and legally binding measures through reforms to the Water Act.
NT Greens
The Greens commit to ensuring the Daly and Roper Rivers run free, [and] to no dams.
[This] must include stopping dams from being built at scale in floodplain catchments.CLP full response
- ‘We agree with you that Northern Territory rivers are central to our great lifestyle. The Northern Territory stands at a critical juncture, where we need decisive action to propel our economy forward while preserving our unique environment and lifestyle.
- Our focus remains on giving the Territory a competitive edge exemplified by streamlined project execution and reduced approval timeframes.
- In the face of pressing environmental challenges, we stand firm in our commitment to responsible, sustainable, economic growth.
- The Country Liberal Party categorically say no to dams in flowing rivers.’
Labor full response
- We will ensure there will be no dams on the Daly or Roper Rivers – a protection we will enact with specific regulations and legally binding measures through reforms to the Water Act and related regulations.
- Continue to develop and embed an Aboriginal Water Security Advisory Council in water-related decision-making processes, ensuring Aboriginal Territorians have a voice on strategic water issues and enhancing Aboriginal participation in decisions around water.
- Continue to partner with Aboriginal Land Councils and work with Traditional Owners across the Territory to establish contemporary approaches to incorporating recognition of the diverse cultural values of water in our policy and legislative frameworks.
- Further develop approaches to Strategic Aboriginal Water Reserves in consultation with Traditional Owners. Resource Aboriginal Community Water Officers, to work in partnership with Rangers, in a water monitoring capacity.
- Deliver remote water infrastructure projects for an additional eight communities, in collaboration with the Australian Government and local Aboriginal people.
- Legislate new Water Act by 2026, contemporising our water legislation which will provide further protection to rivers, aquifers and wetlands.
- Continue to strengthen the Territory’s Water Allocation Planning Framework, ensuring a contemporary balance between protecting environmental and cultural values and sustainable water availability for economic development.
- Introduce landmark safe drinking water legislation to the Parliament in 2024.
Greens full response
- The Greens commit to ensuring the Daly and Roper Rivers run free. We commit to no dams on the Daly and the Roper. A No Dams policy must include stopping dams from being built at scale in the floodplain catchment of these two rivers, or it’s not a real No Dams policy. The evidence is clear that Wet Season flushes of the catchment are vital to the health of the rivers and to the lifecycle of important species, including barramundi and prawns, as well as less well-known species. Floodplain harvesting, and especially at the scale planned by the cotton industry, would be a disaster for the Daly and the Roper. In Parliament, we would pursue an effective ban on floodplain harvesting at scale and shine a light on the connections between the big cotton corporations and the major parties. We challenge the other parties to make it clear that they support a ban on floodplain harvesting at scale in the Daly and Roper catchments.
- The message from Traditional Owners, ecologists and other members of the community is clear: the current rates of industrial water extraction from the Daly and Roper Rivers are already having a major impact. Corporate interests like the cotton and fracking companies want to massively increase this take. NT Governments of both major parties have given away far too much Territory water to big corporations for free, with shoddy environmental assessment and for little community benefit. We commit to no additional allocations from the Daly and Roper catchments for exploitation until an independent public review is complete. We also commit to a review of existing licenses and their impacts on the rivers, and to enacting binding limits on water extraction. You can review our nature and water policy here.
- We also commit to a ban on fracking and to oppose the cotton corporations’ plans for a massive Murray-Darling style expansion in the Top End. These industries are known to be voracious for their water appetite, and we share the community concern that their existing plans for extraction are the thin edge of the wedge. The Greens will always work with the community to protect our rivers.
- We commit to overhauling the Territory’s water laws to protect rivers, groundwater and wetlands. The current Water Act and water plans are totally unable to protect the Territory’s rivers or groundwater dependent waterholes, trees and soaks. The new, overhauled water laws must include specific legal designations and protections for special rivers like the Daly and the Roper, and for aquifers and wetlands. The Greens have a track record of being the party that works for better protections for water nationwide. In 2023, we negotiated better water protections through the federal Parliament that mean that all Territory fracking projects can be assessed and stopped by the federal Environment Minister. In the Territory Parliament, the Greens would work tirelessly to secure better protections for water in the NT.
- Land clearing is one of the major drivers of biodiversity loss, erosion and degradation in the Territory. Our rivers, savannas and climate are under threat from the current almost unregulated approach from NT Governments of both major parties. We commit to buffer zones of at least 2km to protect rivers from the impacts of land clearing, with larger areas considered to protect sensitive habitat and cultural values. These buffer zones must be clearly defined and binding – and be matched by resources to enforce them. Our policy platform also includes other key pieces of the puzzle to wind back the march of rampant land clearing. We commit to work with other parties to bring in an NT Biodiversity Act that would protect intact native vegetation for the first time, and an NT Biodiversity Strategy to inform research and action to protect nature here. We also commit to taking land clearing approval out of the hands of the Pastoral Land Board, and referring all major land clearing projects instead to the NT Environmental Protection Agency.
- Traditional Owners and local communities understand the needs of our rivers and understand their own needs. We commit to sustained, targeted financial support for local communities to make decisions about the future of the rivers where they live. The example of Martuwarra Fitzroy River over the border in WA shows a path to long term, community led decision-making for tropical flooding free flowing rivers. That model requires consistent, targeted support. We need the NT Government to partner with the federal government to deliver new models of river governance that fund local decision-making and formally recognise the significant values of the Territory’s rivers.
You can read the full list of policy priorities we sent to political parties and candidates here.
We also received responses from independent candidates:
Justine Davis
Independent for Johnston“The protection of our rivers is critical and Justine supports all of the recommendations outlined in the [Territory Rivers] letter.”
Sam Phelan
Independent for Katherine“I fully support your asks, however would like a more nuanced discussion about the practicalities of NO new dams on the Roper and Daly. I fully support no mega dams on these rivers, and the exercising of much more caution in regards the surface water take wet season flow policy currently in play. We have seen what has happened to the Murray Darling, and we cannot allow the same mistakes to be made here. Independent science is crucial to this discussion and must be respected.”
It’s clear Territorians value our rivers, and we will continue to work on securing long-term protections for our rivers, including new models led by First Nations people, and new water laws led by communities. We must act now to avoid a Murray-Darling disaster.
Territory Rivers – Keep ‘em Flowing is non-partisan, we will never issue advice on how to vote. We are committed to working with all sides of politics at all times to secure the best outcomes for our rivers.
cotton, cotton industry, Daly River, murraydarlingbasin, NT Government, roper river
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Stories from the river: Walter Rodgers
Learn more“The water of the Roper is precious … I don’t like the government plan regarding our water and we’d like to leave it as it is.
Walter Kolbong Rodgers is a Senior Culture Man from Ngukurr, on the Roper River. Hear more from him in the video below.
cotton, Daly River, floodplainharvesting, NT Government, roper, roper river, Territory rivers
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Stories from the river: Mark
Learn moreI was born on the banks of this river, it’s our life blood. I’ve fought for this river in the past and I’m ready to fight for it again. This river has beautiful cold water for drinking, we must keep it that way.
This river has got everything you need. It’s got what’s in the water and also what lives on the banks, the the fruit trees, berries and what you dig out of the ground. It’s got bamboo for making spears, along with all those different types of fish and sharks.
This river is the beginning of the floodplains at Daly River. It’s important that when the river does flood, it not only cleans the billabongs out and the floodplains, it rejuvenates it. A lot of people just think water, water, water. But they don’t look at the whole picture. It flies, it hops, it crawls, it walks, it swims. Everything revolves around water.
I want my kids and my grandkids to see this river like I’m seeing it. Well, better than what I’m seeing it. Something got to be put in place to protect it.
Mark Casey is a Nauiyu Elder from the Daly River
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Video: Natural Values of Territory Rivers
Learn moreWitness what makes the treasures of the Northern Territory special! Our pristine rivers are a true natural wonder and are unique in this world.
Unlike elsewhere in the world, Territory rivers like the Daly, Roper, Adelaide and Victoria remain in good shape – they haven’t been dammed, over-extracted and polluted like rivers down south.
The health of these rivers is important for providing drinking water, food, jobs, and underpinning culture.
They also support a wide range of unique species, some of which are not found anywhere else.cotton, cotton industry, Daly River, floodplain harvesting, floodplainharvesting, land clearing, murraydarlingbasin, NT Government, roper river
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Video: Floodplain Harvesting in the Northern Territory
Learn more“We’re looking down the barrel of a repeat of the Murray-Darling Basin here in the Top End and it’s something that the community is absolutely opposed to.”
Kirsty Howey from Environment Centre NT explains the troubling process of ‘floodplain harvesting’ and why it risks our rivers.
cotton, cotton industry, Daly River, floodplain harvesting, floodplainharvesting, land clearing, murraydarlingbasin, NT Government, roper river
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‘NT government-commissioned probe of report predicting cotton environmental impacts finds most claims supported’: ABC
Learn moreRead the story HERE, listen HERE, or watch it HERE.
An independent assessment that the Northern Territory government commissioned to find out whether a green group’s report falsely claimed developing a major cotton industry could damage rivers and aquifers, has found most of its conclusions were correct.
Story by Jane Bardon. (ABC 2 January, 2024).You can sign our action asking the NT Govt to act to protect our rivers, floodplains and surrounding savannas HERE.
cotton, cotton industry, Daly River, environment, floodplainharvesting, land clearing, murraydarlingbasin, NT Government, Territory rivers, waterextraction
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Cotton gin opening increases Northern development tussle: ABC PM
Learn moreListen to the story HERE.
The opening of the NT’s first cotton processing plant is being touted as an important step towards developing the North by the industry, but increasing community concerns over water use.
Interviews:
Sue Brosnan, Katherine cotton gin project coordinator
David Connolly, Tipperary Stations Group General Manager
Rosina Farrell, Jilkminggan Mangarrayi community leader
Kirsty Howey, NT Environment Centre
This report is from Jane Bardon. (ABC PM 15 Dec 2023 ).See updates and developments from this story HERE.
You can sign our action asking the NT Govt to act to protect our rivers, floodplains and surrounding savannas HERE.
cotton, cotton industry, Daly River, environment, floodplainharvesting, land clearing, murraydarlingbasin, NT Government, Territory rivers, waterextraction
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Video: ‘The Daly River is a sacred place.’
Learn more“It’s important that we all look after and protect water … We want to keep this river still alive and flowing for all of us to enjoy.”
Meet Malak Malak Traditional Owners Theresa Lemon and Sheila White, and Mark Casey from Nauiyu, who share why the Daly River is sacred to them and why it needs to be protected for future generations.
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Video: Fishing the Northern Territory’s pristine Daly River
Learn moreMeet local fishing tourism operators and long-term fishos on the Northern Territory’s iconic barramundi fishing river – the Daly.
Tourists flock from all over to try and catch one of the Daly’s legendary trophy sized Barramundi and explore one of the most beautiful and abundant rivers in Northern Australia. Our incredible natural asset has secured major international fishing tournaments year on year and attracts the best sports fishers from around the world. These events inject millions of dollars into the NT economy and significantly boost the Territory’s tourism brand.
In particular, the Daly River tourism industry has experienced huge growth and today supports jobs across a number of tourism resorts, seasonal fishing guides and a stream of recreational fishers. This thriving Daly River tourism industry relies on a healthy, intact ecosystem, the spoils of which our visitors and ourselves get to enjoy.
This success is built on healthy river flows. We know that looking after this flow is critically important – especially to ensure our future livelihood in tougher years. Scientific research has firmly established that a healthy Barramundi fishery relies on regular wet season floods, creating highly productive ecosystems. Barramundi spawn early in the wet season and a successful recruitment of baby Barramundi relies on access to floodplains and billabongs. The ‘run-off’ is when Barramundi must return to the main river channel, putting them within easy reach of a fishing lure. This is the crucial element that draws in tourists, families, fishers and a whole manner of people.
Stripping away the lifegiving floodplain flows will be disastrous for our healthy Barramundi stocks and the vibrant tourism industry that relies on them.
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‘Aboriginal land council levels criticism at NT government over unregulated land clearing’: ABC
Learn moreExcerpt: “A prominent lobby group says land clearing is risking the NT’s river networks — which are some of the most pristine in the world — and the failure to properly regulate land clearing for a cotton industry is disappointing.
Warren de With, the president of the Amateur Fishermen’s Association of the NT (AFANT), said extensive clearing near the Daly River — a tourism and barramundi fishing mecca — was of most concern.”
Read the full story HERE or watch it below.
ABC TV – LAND CLEARING: Aboriginal land council ‘loses confidence’ with NT Govt. Report by Roxanne Fitzgerald. You can also listen to the NT Country Hour segment below:
You can sign our action asking the NT Govt to act to protect our rivers, floodplains and surrounding savannas HERE.
cotton, cotton industry, Daly River, environment, floodplainharvesting, land clearing, murraydarlingbasin, NT Government, roper, roper river, Territory rivers, waterextraction