roper river
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Canberra is finally listening
Learn moreThis week we put the voices of the Territory on the national stage. Traditional Owners, experts and environment groups were in Canberra this week, raising the alarm about the threats facing the Territory’s rivers.
We met with Ministers, MPs, Senators and spoke to the media to make sure that the voices of Territorians and Traditional Owners are heard over the lobbying of big business. And Parliament listened!
Thanks to pressure from people like you, Parliament has established a special inquiry into water, food and energy security in the Northern Territory. And we won a public commitment from Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy to advocate for First Nations people to have a say in decision-making across the Roper River catchment.
Our campaign is breaking through in Canberra as the government feels the pressure from Territorians who don’t want a repeat of the Murray-Darling disaster on Territory rivers.
Traditional Owners Jocelyn James (Mangarrayi), Melissa Andrews (Ngukurr), Cecilia Lake (Mangarrayi), Anne-Marie Woods (Mangarrayi) meet with Minister Malarndirri McCarthy (top right), Senator Dorinda Cox (bottom left) and Senator David Pocock (bottom right).But the work doesn’t stop here. We know that the cotton industry will be desperate to influence this inquiry. And we need to make sure that the voices of Territorians can be heard over the influence of big business.
Share the good news on your social media and ask your friends to join the campaign!
We will be keeping a close eye on this inquiry, working to support communities to have an increased say on decisions across the Roper catchment and keeping you updated on when you can have an influence.
We need urgent action to restore integrity to the NT’s water management system, which has been riddled with conflicts of interest. As the cotton industry sets its sights on the Northern Territory, now more than ever, we need better management systems and laws that protect these unique rivers.
Our campaign is working. Not even the politicians in Canberra can ignore the threats facing the Territory rivers. We know how important these rivers are to our way of life and environment and it’s about time more politicians did too.
cotton, cotton industry, land clearing, murraydarlingbasin, roper river, Territory rivers
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We’re taking your message to Canberra
Learn moreEvery Territorian knows how special the Top End Rivers are. The way of life that we all love is made possible because of these free flowing rivers and the unique environment they sustain.
But these rivers are under threat. Big business has been taking advantage of a broken water management system riddled with conflicts of interest to take more water and bulldoze more land alongside our iconic rivers.
Right now Traditional Owners and environmental groups are in Canberra to meet with the government and push for a national plan to protect our free flowing rivers. Will you have their back?
You can add your voice to the call for national action and make sure that Canberra can’t ignore us. The more people who contact the government, the more powerful our actions Canberra will be.
Be a voice for free flowing rivers. Send your message now.
The recent 4 Corners investigation revealed just how broken river management in the NT is. And the community has had enough.
The rivers of Australia’s north are some of the last free flowing tropical rivers in the world. They are precious to the people of the NT and internally recognised. We’ve all seen what has happened to the Murray Darling system. We can’t let that happen in the NT.
We need the Federal Government to step in and prevent this disaster before it’s too late.
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Territory Rivers: the film
Learn moreThe rivers of the Northern Territory are some of the last free-flowing tropical rivers in the world. But the threat of large-scale agriculture projects looms – which, if established in the Top End, will require huge amounts of water taken from already stretched river systems and natural floodplains. This documentary short looks at the science, cultural importance and wellbeing of some of the NT’s iconic river systems – and the people, wildlife and environments that depend upon their survival.
cotton, Daly River, floodplainharvesting, land clearing, murraydarlingbasin, NT Government, roper river, Territory rivers
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Urgent calls for Royal Commission as Four Corners reveals Murray Darling disaster repeat looming in the NT
Learn moreConservation groups Environment Centre NT and Arid Lands Environment Centre are calling on the Federal Government to establish a Royal Commission into water management, deforestation and impacts on the rights of Traditional Owners in the Northern Territory.
The calls follow revelations aired by ABC’s 4 Corners program, ‘Water Grab’, into the mismanagement of water licences in the Territory, land-clearing laws riddled with loopholes, and shocking conflicts of interest regarding government decision-makers.
The groups are calling on the Federal Government to immediately commit to:
- Support the Northern Territory Government to implement an immediate moratorium on new water licensing and water allocations in the Roper system 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.
Quotes from Kirsty Howey, Executive Director of Environment Centre NT:
“This national scandal has exposed a fatally compromised system of land and water management in the Northern Territory,” said Executive Director of Environment Centre NT Kirsty Howey.
“This is a complete dereliction of duty from Northern Territory decision-makers and raises serious questions about just how far the NT government are willing to change the rules to accommodate big business. The Federal Government can’t sit on the sidelines – urgent action is required before the Northern Territory’s iconic savanna is trashed, rivers are destroyed, and Traditional Owners rights are undermined. We don’t have time to wait.”
“Territorians have made it clear they don’t want to see what has occurred down south happen to Top End rivers. 72.5% of NT residents say large cotton companies shouldn’t be allowed to expand operations until they fix the problems they have caused in the Murray Darling,” said Ms Howey.
“The Northern Territory’s savanna is a national treasure and the world’s largest remaining intact tropical woodland – but it’s at risk of being bulldozed by cotton producers. Big cotton devastated the Murray Darling Basin – we mustn’t be bullied into making the same mistakes here,” she concluded.
Quotes from Adrian Tomlinson, CEO of Arid Lands Environment Centre:
“The Northern Territory is now a national embarrassment when it comes to environmental protection. It’s time for a complete overhaul, but we simply can’t trust the Northern Territory Government to do the job. We’re calling on the Federal Government to step in and publicly probe this unfolding disaster before it’s too late.”
“The Northern Territory is known around the world for its iconic natural treasures, including our free-flowing rivers and underground aquifers. But the policies of successive governments have paved the way for massive amounts of water taken from aquifers in central Australia and river systems – threatening groundwater dependent ecosystems and cultural values, as well as fishing, tourism, and our Territory lifestyle,” said Arid Lands Environment Centre CEO Adrian Tomlinson.
“Whilst the spotlight placed on this scandal by 4 Corners is certainly welcome, this is by far not the first time that both the NT and Federal Governments have been warned of these matters, including by communities themselves. The 2022 release of the Georgina Wiso allocation plan resulted in 17 of the nation’s leading water scientists writing to the Chief Minister warning of ‘particularly poor and regressive’ approaches.”
“Enough is enough. We need to ensure that we do not lose what makes the Territory so special – our amazing and unique natural environment,” he concluded.
Notes for editors:
- Polling of residents in Darwin and Palmerston, undertaken by uComms in April 2024.
- Letter signed by 17 water conservation academics sent to then-Chief Minister Natasha Fyles on 23 November 2022.
Background – A broken system
- The Northern Territory is home to some of Australia’s most iconic natural places – soaring escarpments, pristine rivers, the largest intact savanna ecosystem remaining on earth. It is home to some of the world’s last free-flowing tropical river systems.
- Since 2018, the cotton industry has set its sights on expansion in the Northern Territory. The significant environmental risks of an expanded cotton industry in the NT are documented in the 2022 report A Fork in the River. This expansion is occurring in a context of extraordinarily poor regulation.
- The Environmental Defenders Office has described the NT’s laws as among the worst in the country. The Northern Territory is largely non-compliant with federal water policy, with the Productivity Commission recently described the NT’s water planning as “backsliding” compared with other jurisdictions (see page 130). Water Allocation Plans are not binding on decision-makers. Water is free for irrigators in the NT, which Government Ministers have described as our “competitive advantage”. This means that, structurally, water licensing and allocations in the NT involve the transfer of public resources/wealth to private interests without compensation. It also means that there is no revenue to pay for regulation of water even if the regulators wanted to regulate the industry properly. In 2022, 18 water academics from around the country sent a letter to the Chief Minister calling for the NT’s water
- The NT is the only jurisdiction in Australia without native vegetation laws. Land clearing on the pastoral estate (where most of the development is proposed to occur) is regulated by the Pastoral Land Board. Land clearing approvals have rapidly accelerated in the NT, with proposals for cotton cropping expected to require much more. No pastoral land clearing applications have ever been assessed by the NT EPA under the NT environmental assessment laws, nor referred for assessment under the federal EPBC Act.
- Traditional Owners have called for overhauls to the way that water is managed in catchments.
- In 2023, Traditional Owners from across 20,000 square kilometres of the Roper River catchment travelled to Canberra to ask for protection of the river from threats posed by new water intensive industries in the catchment and to be at the forefront of decision-making for the river.
- The delegation also asked for a ban on all further water extraction, licenses and surface water harvesting in the Roper catchment, including the groundwater and floodplains.
cotton, land clearing, murraydarlingbasin, NT Government, roper 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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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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Bringing the Roper River to Canberra
Learn moreWe’re writing to you from the halls of Parliament in Canberra, where we’ve just delivered a powerful message to politicians from all sides.
Our message is clear: water is life.
If we don’t protect our water – our river – our country, we risk losing the very thing that sustains our communities and our culture.
It was a long journey to get here. Northeast Arnhem Land, Katherine, Darwin, and then all the way down to Canberra.
Our 13-metre-long map of the mighty Roper River, showing all the cultural sites and songlines of our Country, took 18 months for us to make. Our songlines follow the water, connecting us all. If our water is taken, our culture and people are at risk.
And we talked to those people who need to listen. We met with Ministers, Senators and MPs from all sides of politics in this place.
We told them that the Roper River – our lifeblood – is under threat from cotton, fracking and other industries. These thirsty industries all risk taking too much water and damaging the river. We used the map to show them our Country, and everything it sustains.
You can read more about our time in Canberra on ABC News, or watch this video of our speeches in Parliament.
Now, we’re starting the long journey back home. We’re tired, and we’re looking forward to getting back to our Country, our homes, and our families.
But the fight to protect the Roper is not over.
The future of our river, our people and our culture all rely on urgent action. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the Murray-Darling. It’s time to forge a new path that respects and includes the knowledge and rights of First Nations people.
Thank you for your support – for the letters you sent to the people here in Parliament, and for showing us that thousands of Australians are behind us.
We know that you’ll be there with us at the next stage. We are going to need to keep telling those in Canberra that they need to act. Together, we can and will protect the Roper.
Thank you
Linda Williams, Naomi Wilfred, Daphne Daniels, Rosina Farrell, Clive Nunggarrgalu, Roland Nundhirribala
