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Water Program News Bulletin
14th Indigenous Water Policy Group Meeting
“NAILSMA is looking to a future Water Policy Group that
ensures Indigenous people across the north continue to build their
engagement in water policy decisions that directly affect their
communities, country and
livelihood”
, said Joe Morrison, NAILSMA CEO, in his opening remarks.
The Indigenous Water
Policy Group (IWPG) convened its 14th Meeting in
Darwin on the 14th November. The key focus the meeting was
consideration of its developing policies relevant to a Strategic
Indigenous Reserve and its future role in NAILSMA’s
Indigenous Water Resource Management Program.
The IWPG is developing a policy paper on the Strategic Indigenous
Reserve (SIR) informed by NAILSMA research that has been delivered
in regional areas, on community interest of this economic potential
in water planning processes.
So far, NAILSMA has delivered SIR case studies in Oolloo
and Mataranka
in the Northern Territory and is currently working in the Nicholson
and Mitchell Rivers in Queensland. The IWPG aims to refine the
options presented in the draft policy paper at its next meeting
before presenting it to the NAILSMA Board.
The development of the SIR policy paper is in response to the fast
pace of water planning across north Australia and the assertion of
NAILSMA to include an equitable
Indigenous allocation in any water plan created in tropical
north in an attempt to lessen Indigenous
disadvantage.
The IWPG is currently funded by the National Water
Commission until July 2012. In the time that is
remaining, NAILSMA will be developing the IWPG strategic direction
to secure funding well into the future.
“In a relatively short time NAILSMA has been able to better
engage communities in government water reform processes through its
Indigenous Water Resource Management Program. The IWPG is
instrumental for better aligning Indigenous community water
interests with government policy frameworks. A serious
collaborative effort by governments is required to support these
valuable efforts into the future”
, said Mr. Morrison.
Photo: Some participants at the
14th IWPG Meeting in Darwin, Nov 2011. NAILSMA ©
2011
For more information about the IWPG, visit the NAILSMA
website.
The IWPG is funded by the National Water
Commission.
Media contact: Robin.MacGillivray@cdu.edu.au
| Project Contact: water@cdu.edu.au
NAILSMA
is an alliance of the Northern Land
Council, Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation
and Balkanu Cape
York Development Corporation.
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