First Adelaide River water advisory committee meeting
The first meeting of the Adelaide River water advisory committee was held in Batchelor on Wednesday 28 August 2024. The committee will provide advice on the development of the Adelaide River water allocation plan, to be declared in 2026. The committee has been appointed for 4 years and is the first committee to oversee a water plan’s development and implementation.
The independently chaired committee has 15 members from the Adelaide River catchment, including 11 Aboriginal members. Member interests include agriculture, horticulture, tourism, fishing, conservation, the environment, community values and Aboriginal cultural values.
The committee discussed how they will work with one another and the department and the regulatory rules in the Northern Territory. They discussed the current understanding of the distribution and movement of the Adelaide River to inform the process and ensure sustainable management.
The members recognised that there are two types of science. The committee brings together traditional science delivered by scientists with the observations and understanding through lived experience. These local perspectives come from Aboriginal people living traditionally on the land and farmers who observe weather and water movement to survive as a business.
Importantly the members shared their perspectives on what outcomes can be achieved by sharing water through the development of the plan. It was recognised that lot of these objectives overlap, such as how maintaining a healthy ecosystem will attract tourists, who will require drinking water and accommodation, such as caravan parks with irrigated lawns.
The committee identified that the plan needs to provide water
- to maintain the health of aquatic ecosystems
- to meet aesthetic, recreational and cultural needs
- for drinking purposes delivered through community water supply systems
- for domestic use, drinking water for stock (e.g. cattle)
- for Aboriginal economic development
- for other users, including agriculture, aquaculture, industry (such as mining).
The second meeting will be in October 2024 and includes visiting sites in the catchment.Please talk to any of the members or chair if you want to know more. Adelaide River Water Advisory Committee | Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security.
