Thu Sep 12 06:20:28 UTC 2024: ## Roper River Drying Up: Traditional Owners Cry for Help as Water Allocation Plan Threatens Lifeline

**Mataranka, NT** – The Roper River, a vital source of life for the Mataranka community, is facing a bleak future as the Northern Territory’s largest-ever water allocation plan threatens to dry it up. The plan, approved by the former government, allows for the extraction of 210 billion litres of water annually from the aquifers that feed the river, raising concerns among environmentalists and traditional owners.

Mangarrayi elder Cecilia Lake, who has witnessed the river’s decline firsthand, says agricultural activities, particularly water-intensive cotton farming, are already impacting the river. “We really need to get help to stop this because what’s happening now is devastating,” Ms Lake said, highlighting the cultural and spiritual significance of the river to her community. “Our waterways are drying up – inside we can feel that connection, we’re crying for help.”

A study by Griffith University researchers warns that without changes to the water allocation plan, local livelihoods are at risk. Ms Lake and other traditional owners have traveled to Canberra to implore the federal government to strengthen environmental laws, including the establishment of a national environment watchdog.

The government’s proposed “nature positive” bill, aimed at protecting the environment, has stalled in the Senate. The opposition is attempting to weaken the legislation, making it easier for miners and water-intensive industries to receive project approvals. The crossbench, however, is advocating for amendments to the bill to ensure that proposals for water allocations from cotton farmers, pastoralists, and fracking companies are assessed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

Currently, this assessment is optional, leading to a “free-for-all” in the Northern Territory, according to Environment Centre NT chief executive Kirsty Howey. “Traditional owners are being ignored, nature is being decimated,” she said.

The Greens and Independent MP David Pocock are pushing for a stricter environmental review process. “This government needs to make a choice,” said Greens environment spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young. “Do they want to protect nature, save the koalas and protect the climate, or do they want to roll over and be a patsy for Gina Rinehart and the mining lobby?”

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has expressed support for the bill but is open to working with both the coalition and crossbench to secure its passage. “Australia needs a national EPA,” Ms Plibersek said. “There’s something in these laws for everyone.”

The fate of the Roper River, and the future of the Mataranka community, hangs in the balance as this debate unfolds.

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