Top End rivers like the Roper and Daly are facing pressures from proposed industrial-scale water extraction and cotton. This could be devastating for fisheries, marine life and local tourism economies.
Proposals under consideration could see up to 660 billion litres of water taken annually from the Roper River alone, alongside plans for up to five dams and the clearing of 40,000 hectares of land in the catchment. Additionally, aquifers like the Mataranka Tindall Limestone Aquifer, which feed the Roper’s vital flows, are also under threat from large-scale extraction plans.
These developments could have devastating consequences for the health of this iconic Territory river, threatening our fishing lifestyle and cultural values. The Roper River is also the lifeblood of Limmen Bight Marine Park, an area of vibrant marine life and world-class fishing.
We’ve seen the impacts of poorly managed water use elsewhere in Australia – the lessons from the Murray-Darling Basin are a stark reminder. Territorians have a chance to make a different choice, safeguarding our rivers and the lifestyle and local tourism economies they sustain.
"We're prepared leaving them like it was and like it is now. Not to touch anything. not to muck up the breeding systems or animals and fish" Walter Rogers Kolbong - Marra Traditional Owner
TAKE ACTION now, learn more of WHAT'S SPECIAL or scroll through the current problems facing our Top End Coasts below.