Transcript Fitzroy River – Let It Flow

Legal Protection for the
Fitzroy River
Kimberley Freshwater Campaign
• Joint campaign of Environs Kimberley and
Australian Conservation Foundation.
• Funded by the Australian Conservation
Foundation & Mullum Trust.
Kimberley Appropriate
Economies Roundtable
• Meeting held in Fitzroy Crossing in October 2005 –
organised by KLC, ACF and EK.
• Principle – “The Fitzroy River, ground-waters
and conservation areas are protected by a legal
framework”.
Campaign Objective
• Long-term legal protection for the Fitzroy
River in a way that is consistent with
Traditional Owner’s rights and interests.
Protecting high conservation value
rivers, wetlands and aquifers 1
• National Water Initiative – ‘identify and acknowledge surface
and groundwater systems of high conservation value, and
manage these systems to protect and enhance those
values’.
• WA Government policy (2001) – ‘no dams’. Reaffirmed in the
state legislature, May 2005.
• State Water Plan 2007 – ‘Water planning will identify water
resources that are a priority for protection’.
• Rangelands NRM Target – ‘Ensure Legislative/statutory
protection and management for all ‘Wild Rivers’ and high
conservation waterways and wetlands by 2010’.
Protecting high conservation value
rivers, wetlands and aquifers 2
• WA Government
currently drafting new
water legislation – Water
Resources Management
Act.
• Considering including a
proclamation power to
declare some waterways
and wetlands as
‘significant’.
Opportunities & Influences
National Water Initiative
WA Legislative
Reform
WA Government
Policy
(No Dams)
State Water Plan
& regional water
planning
Native Title
CROSS-CULTURAL
LEGAL PROTECTION
for the
FITZROY RIVER
Rangelands
NRM Plan
(FitzCAM)
Caring for
Country Plan
Kimberley Appropriate
Economies Roundtable
Key aspect of a cross-cultural
legal framework
“The people of the region
are able to participate in
planning for the region,
are supported by
government in that
process, and their views
are respected and
included when
implementing planning
outcomes”.
Key aspects of a cross-cultural
legal framework 2
• provides statutory protection for the river.
• recognises native title rights and associated
Traditional Owner interests.
• governance framework based on partnership –
co-management; sufficient funding.
• prohibits some damaging activities in Fitzroy
River Catchment (e.g. dams, weirs, broad-scale
land clearing, large-scale water extraction).
• maintains bottom-line ecological thresholds
and ensures protection of cultural values.
Principles
Long term
Statutory
No dams, weirs or
large scale
water extraction
Public
participation
CROSS-CULTURAL
LEGAL PROTECTION
for the
FITZROY RIVER
Traditional Owner
rights and interests
Co-management
approaches
Funding for
management
Protects natural and
cultural values