The Northern Territory government is facing intense backlash after unveiling a legislative package that would effectively remove the legal requirement to allocate water for the environment. Critics have labeled the move a “blatant and shameless” assault on the territory’s natural resources, warning that the changes will prioritize industrial expansion over the health of rivers, wetlands, and subterranean aquifers.
The proposed bill, introduced by the Country Liberal Party (CLP) government, seeks to overhaul water management rules that currently dictate the limits for industrial groundwater and surface water extraction. If passed, the legislation would dismantle key protections, including the mandate that water allocation plans must set aside specific volumes to maintain water-dependent ecosystems. Furthermore, the bill removes requirements that industry water use remain below capped limits and weakens the definition of “estimated sustainable yield,” the metric used to determine how much water can be extracted from a resource.
Environmental advocacy groups and Indigenous representative bodies have reacted with alarm, arguing that the legislative changes are designed to clear a path for high-water-consuming projects, including fracking in the Beetaloo Basin, large-scale agricultural developments, and data centres.
Kirsty Howey, chief executive of the Wilderness Society, described the move as “extreme even for the NT CLP government.” She warned that the administration is effectively trading the territory’s long-term ecological security for “short-term gain and profiteering.” Howey has called on federal Environment Minister Murray Watt to withhold commonwealth water funding from the Northern Territory should the bill be enacted.
The Central Land Council (CLC), which represents Indigenous people across the southern half of the territory, has joined the opposition, claiming the government is attempting to “covertly” remove the last remaining water safeguards available to the public.
“This is actively undermining community aspirations for improved and transparent water planning laws,” said CLC chief executive Les Turner. “It flies in the face of national trends and ignores the voices of Aboriginal people from across the NT.”
Turner noted that the legal vulnerability of these protections was recently highlighted in court. In August, the High Court of Australia quashed the NT government’s decision to grant a massive groundwater extraction licence for Singleton Station, ruling that the process had been unlawful. Turner warned that under the new proposed laws, native title holders and community groups would have significantly reduced capacity to challenge the merits of such licences in the future.
The proposed water reforms are part of a broader legislative push that includes changes to mining, marine pollution, and heritage laws. This follows a string of previous environmental rollbacks under the current administration, including the abandonment of emissions reduction targets and the creation of a “territory coordinator” role with the power to override dozens of existing laws to fast-track development projects.
Bree Ahrens, executive director of the Environment Centre NT, characterized the proposal as a “smash and grab” bill. She urged the federal Albanese government to refrain from transferring national assessment powers to the Northern Territory, arguing that the government has become increasingly “rogue” in its approach to environmental regulation.
NT Environment Minister Joshua Burgoyne has rejected these criticisms, denying that the bill dismantles essential environmental safeguards. He maintained that the territory’s core regulatory framework remains intact and dismissed the opposition as “fearmongering.”
“Our government remains focused on facts, not the fearmongering tactics of environmental lobby groups,” Burgoyne said, adding that the administration supports “responsible development” and has a proven track record of conservation, citing the recent expansion of the Limmen Bight marine park as evidence.
Despite these assurances, the proposed legislation remains a point of deep contention, highlighting a widening rift between the government’s push for economic development and the growing concern among environmental and Indigenous groups over the management of the territory’s scarce water resources.
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