Land Clearing

8 June 2004

Daly River – over 30 billion litres in new water licences awaiting approval

The Environment Centre of the Northern Territory is today calling on the Hon Dr Chris Burns, Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Environment to immediately suspend the approval of new water licenses in the Daly River catchment.

The new water licences for large scale irrigation should be suspended until the Daly River Water Allocation Plan has been completed. The Daly is a Territory icon and one of our best Barramundi fishing rivers. It is also rich in native wildlife and home to the endangered pig nosed turtle.

"Over 30 billion litres of new irrigation water licences for the Daly River are awaiting approval by the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment (DIPE). This is an increase of over 50% on current levels of licensed water use in the catchment." Mr Henry Boer said today.

"This is a policy failure by the NT Government. On the one hand the Government is preparing a Water Allocation Plan for the Daly, meanwhile DIPE can continue to issue new water extraction licences for large scale irrigation.

"The Water Allocation Plan is being prepared to make decisions about future water use in the Daly based on the highest quality science.

Under the current scenario all the water will be allocated before any decisions about future water use can be made and before the Water Allocation Plan is completed." Mr Boer said "Pumping an additional 30 billion litres of water for large scale irrigation could have serious long term impacts on the Daly River. We need more scientific assessment on natural water flows before any decisions are made about further water licences."

"This is exactly the same scenario which occurred in the Murray Darling where water licences were handed out for large scale irrigation before enough science was known about river system. Too much water was pumped for large scale irrigation creating the massive environmental problems now affecting the Murray Darling."

"Once water licences have been issued for large scale irrigation it will be very difficult, and potentially very costly, to get the water back for the environment."

"Science is telling us that if the Daly River stops flowing it will be catastrophic on the River and the habitat for the endangered Pig Nosed Turtle. The public need to know what impacts pumping billions of litres of water for irrigation will have on the Barramundi in the River."

"Minister Burns needs to retain public confidence in the Daly planning process and immediately suspend new water extraction licences." Mr Boer concluded.

For more information contact:
ECNT
08 8981 1984
Email: ecnt@octa4.net.au

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