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Aboriginal people need say in Murray Darling Basin plan by Fred Hooper 18 September 2015
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boriginal people will be left out again with this change of portfolios within the Federal Government on Water and the Murray Darling Basin. Aboriginal people in the Murray Darling Basin are the most disadvantaged people of the Basin and we will become more disadvantaged with this move by the new Turnbull Government to move the Water portfolio to the Department of Agriculture, Mr Hooper the Chairperson of the Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations said from Weilmoringle on the Culgoa River today. Mr Hooper said that the MABO decision clearly stated that the Crown did not gain an absolute beneficial ownership when it settled in 1788 and that Aboriginal Allodial Title rights remained on both Land and Water. It also needs to be noted that Aboriginal Native Title rights and interests have not yet been determined on Water and a legal challenge to determine this issue has not ruled out Mr Hooper said. He also pointed out that legal advice has been obtained on this issue and that there could be grounds to launch a legal challenge as to the extension of Native Title of Minerals, which includes Water. He also said that the Commonwealth Water Act requires the Authorities both State and Federal to consider Aboriginal Native Title rights and interests on water when developing the Basin Plan and throughout the implementation of the Plan. He said the Aboriginal people of the Northern Basin feel that this
Fred Hooper (on left), NBAN Chairperson and Craig Knowles (on right), Chair of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority Image: mdba.gov.au
has not really happened and that the Commonwealth and the States need to have a close look at the Commonwealth Native Title Act and how it relates to this issue of Water. We have been working very closely with the Murray Darling Basin Authority during the development of the plan and now during the implementation of it. We have had some gains but we feel these gains will be eroded away under the decision of the Turnbull Government and their deal with the National Party to move the water portfolio to the very people who destroyed the rivers in the first place. Is this about the protection of the environment of where we all live, or is it about winning votes? In this case Aboriginal people feel that it is about winning votes
and not about the protection of the Environment and the protection of Aboriginal rights to water. Aboriginal people of the Basin have every right to feel that Irrigators and big business will control the role out of the Basin Plan to suit their own needs and not the needs of the Environment or the protection of Aboriginal values and uses within the Murray Darling Basin, given what we have seen over the past 227 years Mr Hooper said. We send an open invitation to Mr. Joyce to come and sit with down Aboriginal people of the Northern Murray Darling Basin in Lightning Ridge on the 29th of October 2015 and listen to our needs and aspiration on water before he moves any further in his new role as the Commonwealth Water Minister.
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