Keep NT Rivers Flowing

There’s been some concerning media recently about land clearing for the big cotton industry, and its impact on our Top End rivers and coasts.

A recent 7:30 Report highlighted some alarming land clearing practices happening right here in our own backyard, including up to the banks of the Daly River.

A follow-up ABC story revealed that the Amateur Fishing Association Northern Territory (AFANT) and the Northern Land Council (NLC) have both raised concerns about clearing and its impact on fishing and cultural practices.

Read the email that we'll send

To: Chief Minister Natasha Fyles and Environment Minister Lauren Moss,

I, like many Territorians, am very concerned about what was revealed in the 7:30 Report recently in relation to land clearing on the banks of our rivers, including the iconic Daly River. The follow-up story in the ABC News published on Friday 3 February, titled Aboriginal land council levels criticism at NT Government over unregulated land clearing, reveals that these concerns are growing.

Our great Territory rivers and coasts are at the heart of our Top End lifestyle. Wet season flows power the natural cycle of our rivers, and our rivers are in turn the lifeblood of our coasts, but land clearing and agricultural pollutants threaten the health of these systems.

The mighty Roper River flows into the Limmen Bight Marine Park. Yet this river is under threat from dams, land clearing, and cotton. This threatens Limmen Bight Marine Park - one of the Territory’s most special natural places - a dugong, turtle, and dolphin hotspot which produces most of the NT’s mudcrabs. The waters, fish and other wildlife move between the Roper and Limmen.

Research published in The Conversation in 2021 has revealed that savannas are the second most intensely collapsing ecosystem in Australia, followed by the mangrove forests in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Any further threats to these ecosystems will only accelerate this collapse, and these threats come at a time when we need to be doing everything in our power to ensure the health of our terrestrial and marine environments.

That’s why I’m calling on the NT Government to keep our rivers flowing by putting an end to damaging land clearing. I am asking you to protect our rivers, including implementing strong laws around land clearing and waterways as we must mitigate the risk that erosion, sedimentation, and agricultural pollution poses for our rivers and coasts, and our fishing lifestyle and tourism economy.

I urge you to guarantee the health of our rivers and floodplains. This starts with listening to Territory communities calling for strengthened protections against land clearing and strengthened protections for our rivers and coasts.

Yours sincerely,
(Your name and suburb will be added here)

Add your name to protect our Top End rivers and coasts from damaging land clearing practices.

To: Chief Minister Natasha Fyles and Environment Minister Lauren Moss,
I, like many Territorians, am very concerned about what was revealed in the 7:30 Report recently in relation to land clearing on the banks of our rivers, including the iconic Daly River. The follow-up story in the ABC News published on Friday 3 February, titled Aboriginal land council levels criticism at NT Government over unregulated land clearing, reveals that these concerns are growing.
Our great Territory rivers and coasts are at the heart of our Top End lifestyle. Wet season flows power the natural cycle of our rivers, and our rivers are in turn the lifeblood of our coasts, but land clearing and agricultural pollutants threaten the health of these systems.
The mighty Roper River flows into the Limmen Bight Marine Park. Yet this river is under threat from dams, land clearing, and cotton. This threatens Limmen Bight Marine Park - one of the Territory’s most special natural places - a dugong, turtle, and dolphin hotspot which produces most of the NT’s mudcrabs. The waters, fish and other wildlife move between the Roper and Limmen.
Research published in <a href="https://theconversation.com/existential-threat-to-our-survival-see-the-19-australian-ecosystems-already-collapsing-154077">The Conversation</a> in 2021 has revealed that savannas are the second most intensely collapsing ecosystem in Australia, followed by the mangrove forests in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Any further threats to these ecosystems will only accelerate this collapse, and these threats come at a time when we need to be doing everything in our power to ensure the health of our terrestrial and marine environments. 
That’s why I’m calling on the NT Government to keep our rivers flowing by putting an end to damaging land clearing. I am asking you to protect our rivers, including implementing strong laws around land clearing and waterways as we must mitigate the risk that erosion, sedimentation, and agricultural pollution poses for our rivers and coasts, and our fishing lifestyle and tourism economy.
I urge you to guarantee the health of our rivers and floodplains. This starts with listening to Territory communities calling  for strengthened protections against land clearing and strengthened protections for our rivers and coasts.

This message will be sent to the Hon. Natasha Fyles – NT Chief Minister and Hon. Lauren Moss – NT Environment Minister. We will only use your details to send this email to the people listed above, and to forward you campaign-related material. Your details will not be passed on to any third party entities.