NT traditional landowners petition federal government to protect rivers and springs

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Northern Territory traditional owners have used a 13-metre-long painting to petition the Federal Government to protect rivers and springs from new gas and cotton industry developments. The NT Government is adamant its allocation plans are sustainable, but Traditional Owners want the Commonwealth to intervene and stop any more water being allocated to the vast Roper River catchment.

Transcript

00:00 It was a visual and audio presentation of deep concerns about water song lines and dreaming

00:09 trucks. Traditional owners from across the NT's vast Roper River region created a 13-metre

00:16 map to petition the Commonwealth not to let the Files government damage it by giving too

00:22 much water to new cotton and gas industries.

00:26 We want to protect Roper River because it's so precious to us.

00:31 Our scientific and cultural knowledge of freshwater and saltwater country came long before colonisation

00:38 and it must be listened to and prioritised.

00:41 Federal ministers took note.

00:43 It's certainly our job to take on board what you're saying.

00:49 But made no specific commitments.

00:52 Water is life and we all know that. So well done. It was a courageous thing to do to come

00:58 down and we stand strong with you.

01:01 The NT government is adamant it can facilitate more than 1,000 new gas wells and 1,000 square

01:08 kilometres of cotton and horticulture without depleting rivers, aquifers and springs.

01:15 We also take into account when it comes to water allocation, the decision is based on

01:19 science with an independent water controller.

01:21 But traditional owners say climate change is already drying waterways and they want

01:27 more caution.

01:29 We have a chance to do what is right, do things differently, protecting our lands and waterways.

01:38 The group hope their petition will continue to spread their messages of concern.

01:43 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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