Living Rivers
How You Can Help – Guidance for Submissions
Living Rivers, the lifeblood of the Territory.
The Northern Territory has some of the most amazing, ecologically intact and culturally important rivers in Australia, and indeed the world.
YouTube Video on Living Rivers – 64 sec created by A C Walker.
View the 4 minute video here – YouTube Living Rivers 4 min
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Indigenous people and Territory rivers.
Indigenous people have lived on their ancestral estates along these rivers for tens of thousands of years, and continue to actively manage catchments today through a range of land management initiatives.
Indigenous communities rely on rivers, wetlands and estuaries for food, water, their law and culture, jobs and income. Indigenous Ecological Knowledge about rivers and their species and habitats is increasingly being appreciated, communicated and integrated into river management.
Indigenous land management plays a major role in restoring and protecting catchments, and should be supported and extended through creating more Indigenous Ranger programs, establishing and funding Indigenous Protected Areas and assisting Traditional Owners to live on and access Country.
Economic development which sustains rivers and their catchments is essential to support Indigenous aspirations for their lands and to help close the gap on Indigenous disdavantage. An economic development plan should underpin the Living Rivers strategy to identify and facilitate projects that maximise wealth creation and community wellbeing benefits to Indigenous people whilst minimising river impacts. Many examples exist, such as nature and culture tourism, fire and invasive species management, conservation, protected area management, small scale horticulture, hunting and safari fishing.
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Wildlife and Territory rivers
The Territory is home to hundreds of rivers and creeks spread accross three dozen large river basins. From ancient river beds watering the parched desert country and deep gorges in Central Australia to the vast monsoonal floodplain rivers of the Top End, they are the lifeblood of the Territory. If laid end-to-end, they would stretch many hundreds of thousonds of kilometres.
Some of the rivers are shared with downstream river communities in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland.
Most of the Territory’s rivers remain in natural or largely natural condition (see map), and retain much of their ecological processes and integrity, and biodiversity.
Many of these rivers are well known, like the Daly, Finke, Roper, Todd, Victoria, East and South Alligator, Mary and Adelaide. But many little known rivers are also highly valuable for their natural and cultural values, such as the Calvert, Plenty, Fitzmaurice, Goomadeer, Limmen and Fish, to name a few.
The annual monsoon arrives around December to inundate millions of hectares of tropical floodplains and breathe life again into dried out rivers. The Wet season re-sets the biological clock after the end of the long Dry season, sending life-giving waters from the Arnhem and Stuart plateau, the Barkly Tabelands and the Victoria River district to drive the marine ecology of the Gulf of Carpentaria and Arafura and Timor Seas.
Rivers in the southern part of the Territory provide essential life-giving water to the landscape and the Indigenous and pastoral communities that rely on them.
Top End rivers support enormous concentrations of wildlife – ducks, crocodiles and barramundi to name a few – and are strongholds for threatened and endemic species, such as freshwater sawfish and pig-nose turtle.
Melaleuca Wetland by Steve Trudgeon
Melaleuca Wetland – Photo courtesy of Steve Trudgeon
Coastal floodplain wetlands support flocks of waterbirds numbering in the tens of thousands. Twenty six species of shorebirds fly through the Territory on their long annual migration from the northern hemisphere in such numbers that they are considered to be internationally significant.
While many have heard about barramundi, few would appreciate just how spectacularly rich in fish species Territory rivers are. The Daly River alone is home to 52 species – compared to 35 in the whole Murray Darling Basin. To top it off, most Territory rivers remain 100% free of extoic fish species.
Over one-third of Australia’s mangrove forests occur along the Territory’s coasts and estuaries where they rely on healthy rivers and provide essential habitat for a plethora of species. The Territory supports diverse and abundant mangrove forests covering 4,120 square kilometers and 36 species of mangrove – 72% of the world’s mangrove species – compared to just one species in Victoria.
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Threats to Territory rivers
Major Agriculture
Few rivers have been dammed or targeted for large scale irrigation development. Relatively few of the Territory’s catchments have been subjected to major land clearing.
But with ongoing drought and changing climate patterns across southern Australia, pressure continues to mount to develop many of these amazing tropical river catchments into the mythical foodbowl of Asia. Some Top End rivers that are home to Indigenous communities, renowned for their fishing and loved by Territorians and visitors alike, are being increasingly targeted for agricultural development, such as the Daly, Adelaide and Roper Rivers.
Around ten thousand hectares of native vegetation has been approved for clearing each year over the pasr five years, mostly for sowing exotic pastures for cattle in the Daly catchment and the Stuart Plateau, and agro-forestry on the Tiwi Islands. The annual rate of clearing fell in 2008 by about 40% due in large part to campaigns to end major landclearing.
The Daly River in the Top End has long been the focus for agricultural development. John Etty owns two farms near Katherine at the top of the catchment, including the organic ‘Wilderness Farm’. He represents horticulture interests on the Daly River Management Advisory Council, is a long standing member of the Council of the Northern Territory Horticulture Association and is a member of the Organic Producers Association.
“We need sustainable food production, but we should not clear too much land or pump too much water” says John.
Hear more of what John has to say on this YouTube video (4 mins).
Dams
The free-flowing Adelaide River has long been earmarked for construction of a large dam to water Darwin’s growing suburbs and industry. Alternatives exist to this dam, such as water conservation, demand management, water pricing, wastewater recycling and permanent low-level water restrictions.
Mining
Global demand for energy and minerals is driving exploration and development that may threaten rivers. Five kilometres of the McArthur River was diverted in recent years – against the wishes of many Traditional Owners and those concerned at the damage this would do, and in spite of Supreme and Federal Court rulings – to allow mining giant Xstrata to mine the bed of the river for zinc.
McArthur River diversion channel – May 2008
Near Alice Springs, Canadian miner Cameco is currently test drilling for uranium in the Angela Pamela uranium deposit, despite widespread concerns within the local community that this will place the groundwater at risk of contamination with radionucleotides and tailings.
The Territory has its fair share of poor mines that have polluted rivers, or may yet do so – Ranger uranium mine in Kakadu National Park, Mt Todd gold mine on the Edith River, Rum Jungle uranium mine on the Finniss River, and McArthur River Mine in the Gulf Country.
Invasive species
Over-grazing by cattle and feral animals – pigs, buffaloes, camels, donkeys, horses and goats – are major threats requiring ongoing management by pastoralists, Indigenous communities, the Territory Parks & Wildlife Service, local government and private conservation agencies.
Invasive weeds already infest, or threaten to infest, many rivers and wetlands. The list reads like a Who’s Who of bad weeds: mimosa, Olive hymenachne, Athel pine, noogoora burr, para grass, salvinia, gamba grass, mission grass, cabomba, pond apple, buffel grass, Acacia mangium and rubber vine. Reducing the threat from these species requires a mix of regulation, intensive on-ground management, building cross-tenure partnerships, and awareness raising.
Exotic fish such as the African species tilapia will, if permitted to establish, do to Top End rivers what carp have done to southern rivers.
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TAKE ACTION
Tell the Northern Territory Government you want a strong Living Rivers Act and management program by making a submission. Read our Guidelines for Submissions here.