ALEC Policy Officer, Alex Vaughan, delivered this presentation at the Australian Water Association's Northern Territory conference 'Water in the Bush' in October 2022. The event took place on unceded Larrakia Country and this video was recorded on unceded Arrernte Country.
The Northern Territory Government’s rapid pursuit to be the easiest place to do business nationally is partly driven by ‘access to water’. By rolling out the red carpet for investors to access water for irrigated horticulture, gas and mining, groundwater dependent ecosystems are increasingly collateral to do business in the Northern Territory. This presentation assesses the politics and policy driving changes to how groundwater dependent ecosystems are perceived and managed in the Northern Territory. As Central Australia’s peak environmental organisation, we predominately focus on the arid and semi-arid zone.
