Submission to the Northern Territory Government on the Draft Surface Water Take – Wet Season Flows Policy and the Draft Interference with a Waterway Guideline

The purpose of the draft policy is to establish the allocation rules for quantifying wet season water flow volumes available for consumptive use from a river basin, while maintaining free flowing rivers and important environmental and cultural values. The NLC supports the policy purpose, however the draft policy and guideline do not enable to the purpose to be achieved. The documents do not include adequate protection of the rights and interests of Aboriginal people in the NLC region, and do not provide adequate actions to ensure cultural values are protected. Therefore, the NLC does not support the draft policy or guideline in their current forms. The draft documents require substantial change and should be updated in accordance with the recommendations made in this submission.