Indigenous Freshwater Planning Forum Report

In February 2009 the National Water Commission (NWC) convened the first national Indigenous Water Planning Forum. This event coincided with the National Freshwater Indigenous Forum which resulted in the formation of an interim Indigenous Water Reference Group.

In organising the Forum, the NWC was assisted by an Indigenous steering group, the North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA) and the Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN). The Indigenous Water Planning Forum, held over two days on 19 and 20 February 2009, aimed to provide an opportunity for Indigenous people and State/Territory water agency staff from across Australia to discuss Indigenous participation in water allocation planning processes.

The specific objectives of the Forum were to:

• Describe the Australian water plans that have involved Indigenous participation
• Bring together Indigenous community members and jurisdictional water planners who have previously participated in water planning processes
• Document the best examples of Indigenous engagement in water planning processes
• Refine a statement of principles for Indigenous engagement and improved access to water.

The topics discussed included:

• Identification of Indigenous values
• Requirements of the National Water Initiative (NWI) and State/Territory legislation and policy
• NWI Implementation progress across the States and Territories Indigenous responses to the national water reform agenda
• Indigenous experiences in water management activities
• Specification of Indigenous water requirements
• Mechanisms and pathways to meet those requirements (e.g. licensing,reservations and inclusion of Indigenous people in water allocation planning processes).

The Forum included presentations based on three commissioned papers circulated to the participants prior to the event:

1. A legal and policy analysis of water planning frameworks in New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia, and Victoria.
2. A desk top study to identify the water planning processes around Australia that have included Indigenous engagement and allocation of water resources as per the NWI; and
3. A desk top study to identify specific allocations of water to Indigenous people from the consumptive pool for economic development outcomes.

Proceedings, Outcomes and Recommendations

A report detailing the proceedings, outcomes and recommendations from the Forum is now available for download. The report has three aims:

1. To provide a concise evidence-based summary of current water management arrangements
2. To summarise the key issues raised at the Forum
3. To outline a set of principles for improving access to water and Indigenous participation in water management.

Download the report here...