Protecting living rivers

The McArthur River in the Northern Territory is in need of greater protection. Photograph: Angus Emmott

The Northern Territory (NT) has nearly three dozen river systems. Almost all are in excellent ecological condition, yet they are at risk from land clearing, dams, over-extraction, mining and damage by weeds and feral animals.

Iconic rivers facing particular risks include the Daly, McArthur, Roper, Adelaide, Finke and Mary Rivers. These require stronger legal protections and enhanced on-ground management.

We are campaigning for all political parties to commit to legally protecting the NT’s iconic rivers, especially the Daly, McArthur, Roper, Adelaide, Finke and Mary, by keeping them free-flowing, full of native fish and clean water, and reduce the risks from siltation, weeds & introduced fish species.

This requires:

• Stopping major land clearing with a strong Native Vegetation Management Act and setting an annual clearing cap for the NT that is very low and trending downwards;
• Passing a world’s best practice Water Act and capping water use at very low levels;
• Modernising environmental assessment, pollution, mining, pastoral lands, and planning laws.
• Legislating a ban on the construction of new dams being on free-flowing rivers and their main tributaries in a new Living Rivers Act.

Indigenous rights and Living Rivers

We support:

• providing Indigenous water reserves for future small scale, high value developments by Aboriginal communities within caps in water plans,
• employing Indigenous Rangers to manage Living Rivers, including with funds from federal programs,
• ongoing engagement with Indigenous communities regarding protection of Living Rivers, including provision of effective consultation regarding processes for declaration of Living Rivers.
• the ability of river communities to consider voluntarily nominating their rivers as a Living River, and including receiving support for focused consultation.

Living River jobs and the conservation economy

• Declaration of Living Rivers should provide Indigenous communities with long-term employment as Indigenous Rangers.
• Support creation of new National Parks, conservation covenants & connectivity corridors along river systems.
• Support nature and culture based tourism businesses and infrastructure, as part of the conservation economy.