First Nations people say they are continuing to be dispossessed of their rights and their economy after a study of Indigenous water rights in the Murray-Darling Basin found they share less than 1 per cent of the market.the volume and value of water rights owned by First Nations groups in the basin, which spans Queensland, NSW, ACT, Victoria and South Australia.
“We shared and managed the water for the animals and plants. It was our economy. But it was taken away from us. We were rich people and now we are dirt poor, sick and depleted.” “I expected the ownership figures would be low, but to put a number on it was still shocking,” she said. The second wave followed when states started to grant some land rights to First Nations people, which Dr Hartwig said gave access only to poorer quality land which did not come with any water rights attached.“The third wave of dispossession is now, where water became a commodity from 2004,” Dr Hartwig said.
The federal government set aside $40 million, representing 0.2 per cent of the Murray-Darling water market’s value, to purchase rights for Aboriginal peoples across the basin two-and-a-half years ago, but is yet to invest any of the money.
Source: Law Daily Report (lawdailyreport.net)
micksfoley I don't understand what do these people need water rights, is it for nature conservation
micksfoley The Aboriginal First Nation people of Australia have been massacred, dispossessed of their land under Terra Nullius propagandachildren continually stolen from them and racism has taken away their last vestiges of pride & self respect. It is hard to find a worse inhumane example
micksfoley Not enough votes so politicians rule them out
micksfoley Famers are stealing all the water. They should go to jail.
micksfoley 13 gigalitres (13 billion litres) would be enough to support nearly 9 million people on 4L/day the accepted standard. So it seems unlikely they controlled even a fraction of what they do today let alone 100% of the total water supply.
micksfoley We are all in this equally
micksfoley Give them another 2%. Equal to their part of the population
micksfoley When First Nations People are tribal groups it is hard to understand how water would be allocated for what land and what benefit to which group..
micksfoley Water water 💦 less than 1%, is not a fair go,
micksfoley Their water rights have been sold off not dispossessed at a profit to local community leadership...grieve to them.
micksfoley Stealing some of friendlyjordies work are you?
micksfoley First what? 😆