Australlia: 'Aboriginal peoples barely own a drop of water in the vast Murray-Darling Basin water market, and First Nations groups say government inaction is denying their Indigenous rights to use the resource for environmental, social and economic purposes.
The Murray-Darling Basin water market is worth more than $16 billion, but Aboriginal organisations in NSW own just $16 million in water assets, or 0.1 per cent, according to a study from Griffith University – and First Nations groups own very little else in other states.
The federal government set aside $40 million two-and-a-half years ago to purchase water rights for Aboriginal peoples across the basin, to be split evenly between the north and south, but is yet to invest any of the money, frustrating First Nations advocates.'
The Murray-Darling Basin water market is worth more than $16 billion, but Aboriginal organisations in NSW own just $16 million in water assets, or 0.1 per cent, according to a study from Griffith University – and First Nations groups own very little else in other states.
The federal government set aside $40 million two-and-a-half years ago to purchase water rights for Aboriginal peoples across the basin, to be split evenly between the north and south, but is yet to invest any of the money, frustrating First Nations advocates.'