Northern Territory Election

A Vote for the Environment

It’s election time in the NT and political parties and Independent candidates have a responsibility to spell out how they are going to look after our unique environment if they are elected. And it’s up to the community to let political parties and candidates know what we think are the important issues. Set out below are the key areas the Environment Centre NT wants to see addressed. We invite you to take up these issues with the candidates standing in YOUR electorate.

1. Protecting our Environment now and for the future

2. Industrialisation of the Top End

3. The slippery slope: weeds, ferals and fire

4. Indigenous land and sea management

5. Keeping the Daly a living river

6. Marine conservation

7. Sustainable and healthy communities

8. Toxic mines: Koongarra and McArthur River

9. An Environment Protection Authority (EPA) for the NT

Unlike many other parts of Australia the Northern Territory still has the chance to keep much of its environment healthy and intact.

BUT we have many serious challenges that must be addressed. The biggest problem we face is that Governments and industries lack vision and undervalue our environment and natural resources. For example, out of the whole Territory budget, less than 4 percent is spent on the environment. This is totally inadequate. It means future generations will inherit bigger and more costly problems. It also compromises multi-million dollar industries such as tourism and fishing that depend on a healthy natural environment.

What’s needed:

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2. Industrialisation of the Top End

Poorly planned, fast-tracked industrial development can have major impacts on many places and things we value.

Industrial projects are being considered for Darwin Harbour, Glyde Point, and Arnhem Land. This industrialisation is not being strategically planned — it is being driven ad hoc by corporations and departments. Many issues and impacts are being ignored, including a massive increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

What’s needed:

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3. The slippery slope: weeds, ferals and fire

The NT has a major problem with introduced species (e.g. weedy pasture grasses, cane toads, donkeys, pigs, cats, cattle, etc).

When combined with the impacts of unmanaged fires, land clearing and climate change, these introduced species spell disaster for our wildlife and for the overall health of our environment and economy.

What’s needed:

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4. Indigenous land and sea management

With much of the NT (land, coast and sea) owned by the Traditional Owners, it is imperative they are supported in managing and protecting their country.

Many Indigenous communities have successfully established land and sea management programs. These programs benefit the whole NT community through better control of weeds, feral animals and fire, and better monitoring of the environment. Indigenous Ranger programs and management plans help pave the way for sustainable economic development for Indigenous communities, including the use of native species and cultural tourism. These programs can suffer or fail due to lack of long term support across government.

What’s needed:

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5. Keeping the Daly a living river

The NT has many rivers in good condition — unlike much of the rest of Australia.

The Daly is a unique river system, rich in native fish and turtle species and highly valued by its Traditional Owners, tourism operators, recreational fishers and the general public. If kept in healthy condition it will be an ecological, cultural and economic asset for the NT forever. It must be protected from high risk development such as polluting mines, large scale clearing and irrigated agriculture. Currently there is no long-term security for the Daly.

What’s needed:

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6. Marine conservation

The coastal and marine environments of the NT are some of the richest in the nation.

They provide refuge for dugong, turtle, many shark and ray species and contain extensive mangrove forests and seagrass beds. Our ocean environment faces urgent conservation challenges including increasing pressure from fishing, aquaculture, oil and gas projects and global warming. There is little effective legislation or planning for the conservation and sustainable use of the NT’s marine environment.

What’s needed:

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7. Sustainable and healthy communities

Darwin-Palmerston, Katherine and Alice Springs are small cities and towns but they have a big ‘ecological footprint’.

They consume large amounts of water, energy and other resources and produce large amounts of pollution and waste. Cooperative government action, including local government, is required to help people create sustainable, healthy, tropic- and desert-friendly towns and communities.

What’s needed:

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8. Toxic mines: Koongarra and McArthur River

Some proposed mines would be so destructive they should not be considered.

This is the case with the Koongarra uranium mine and the McArthur River expansion. Mining companies have been trying for decades to get approval for the Koongarra mine (adjacent to internationally famous Nourlangie Rock in Kakadu National Park), but it has never been approved. The proposed expansion of Xstrata’s McArthur River zinc mine near Borroloola on the Gulf would mean a huge open cut mine in the bed of the River leading to massive impacts on the river and its fish life, and causing heavy metal pollution out to the Gulf. The NT already has a toxic legacy of polluting mines (e.g. Mt Todd, Rum Jungle,) and we don’t need more.

What’s needed:

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9. An Environment Protection Authority (EPA) for the NT

The NT is the only part of Australia without an EPA. This places our environment at increased risk and severely limits public input.

The NT needs a strong, independent (i.e. not subject to ministerial direction) and well resourced EPA to ensure developments are thoroughly assessed; pollution, contaminated sites and toxic materials are tightly regulated; and there is an integrated, whole-of-government approach to environmental protection and enforcement.

What’s needed:

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