Indigenous Water Policy Group

The Indigenous Water Policy Group (IWPG) was initiated in 2006 to continue the dialogue of the Lingiari Water Rights Discussion Booklets (revised 2002 - Onshore and Offshore), which identified that Indigenous rights, responsibilities and interests in water need to be recognised in any water resource management and allocation plans. Further to this, a scoping study on Indigenous interests in tropical river management identified an extremely low awareness of the National Water Initiative (NWI) amongst Indigenous peoples in northern Australia.

IWPG aims

The aims of the IWPG are:

• to increase the awareness of Indigenous people living in northern Australia about the government’s current policies for water reform, and
• to engage in research relating to Indigenous rights, responsibilities and interests in water resources in northern Australia so that these aspects are articulated during the water reform process.

The IWPG is funded by the National Water Commission until 2010 under its Raising National Water Standards Programme.

IWPG principles

These principles were adopted by the IWPG on the 22nd October 2009 and come from the North Australian Indigenous Experts Water Futures Forum (August 2009).

• Land, water and people are inextricably connected, which means unity of land, water and Indigenous people. “Water and land cannot be separated. We look and care for country together not separate...”
• Water management and use includes all of cultural uses, environmental flows, consumptive and commercial uses; and all freshwater systems are included whether on the mainland or on sea country.
• Adherence to maintaining a balanced revised ‘Triple Bottom Line’ (social and cultural, ecological and economic) including a fourth element of political sustainability.
• Water dealings based on free, prior, and informed decisions and engagement with Indigenous community at all levels. This means representative bodies and Indigenous communities on the ground be fully informed and participate in process (Traditional Owners on country).
• Principles of International Law (e.g. UNDRIP, Ramsar) be the guiding principles for development of Indigenous engagement on water.
• Water allocation needs to be linked with best practice, sustainable, efficient use and accurate up to date information about environmental flows.
• Indigenous people across north Australia are united in dealing with water issues and accordingly recognise that:

1. Indigenous peoples have cultural and kinship responsibilities and obligations under customary law to look after water;
2. Traditional Owners have a right to be involved in the management and decision making over water use;
3. Indigenous peoples have responsibilities and obligations in accordance with Indigenous laws and customs. We have responsibility for maintaining the rivers and the environment and ecosystem in their natural state so as to ensure their sustainability of this whole environment;
4. Indigenous people need to be the primary interface in the planning and development of water usage proposed and regulated; and
5. our water is part of our native title through our cultural and ceremonial practices that are part of the birds, animals, plants and us. We don’t want younger generations to live with the same hardship we older ones did.

The IWPG contributes significantly to:

• research development under TRaCK, through its Indigenous engagement strategy and theme 6 research - Sustainable Enterprises, and under its own research program
  
• policy development of the government’s plans for water reform under the National Water Initiative through its engagement with the National Water Commission
  
• informing processes for any development in the north through its direct engagement with themes of the Northern Australia Water Futures Assessment
• providing policy advice on sustainable development of the north through its membership on the Northern Land and Water Taskforce.
  

• Joe Ross (Chairman)
  
• Anne Poelina (Deputy Chair)
  
• Nolan Hunter (Acting CEO - Kimberley Land Council)
• Desmond Hill (OFA Project Implementation Officer - Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation)
• Murrandoo Yanner (Representative - Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation)
  
• Thomas Wilson (Chairman - Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation)
  
• Richard Ah Mat ( Director - Balkanu - Cape York Development Corporation)
• Richard Jenkins (Balkanu - Cape York Development Corporation)
  
• Toby Accoom (Cape York Land Council - Lockhardt River)
• Ron Archer (northern Gulf Indigenous Savannah Group)
• Mona Liddy (Daly River Aboriginal Reference Group)
• John Christophersen (Consultant)
• Andrew Wungundin (Kimberley Land Council)
  

Advisors:
Patrick Dodson (Director - Lingiari Foundation )
Paul Lane (Executive Officer - Kimberley Institute)
Marcia Langton (Professor for Australian Indigenous Studies - The University of Melbourne)
Ameyali Ramos (Consultant - Institute of Advanced Studies - United Nations University)
Tom Hatton (Director, CSIRO Water for a Health Country Flagship)
Sue Jackson (Senior Research Scientist, CSIRO Tropcial Ecosystems Research Centre)
Jon Altman (Director for Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, Australian National University)
Michael O'Donnell (Legal Research Associate - TRaCK Theme 6)
Poh Ling-Tan (Associate Professor - Griffith University)
Lee Godden (Professor of Law - The University of Melbourne)

Policy Engagement Group:
Western Australian Government Department of Water - shared by John Loney, Ed Hauk and Sussie Williams
Queensland Government Department of Natural Resources and Water - shared by Nigel Kelly and Tom Crothers
Northern Territory Government Department of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts and Sports - Ian Lancastor
National Water Commission - Murray Radcliffe

Last updated March 2010