Voices from the Bush Conference – sharing our water knowledge
The Water Resources division was pleased to attend the Voices from the Bush Conference, held in Alice Springs on 16 to 17 September, providing an opportunity to connect with stakeholders, share knowledge and strengthen conversations about water management across the Northern Territory.
This year’s theme, 'Stronger Together – Creating Change', reflects a collective commitment to move beyond discussion and demonstrate how real progress is being made across First Nations communities.
As part of the conference program, Nerida Beard, Executive Director Water Resources, co-presented on the 'Aboriginal Cultural Water Values Assessment of the Adelaide River Catchment', highlighting the important work being undertaken by Water Resources in partnership with the Northern Land Council, and the role of collaboration, local knowledge and community engagement in supporting sustainable water management.
The presentation showcased nearly 3 years of work between the 2 organisations to highlight the cultural values of water that are important to the Aboriginal people with longstanding connections to the catchment area.
This work is a foundational information source for the impending Adelaide River Water Allocation Plan and for the first time is being undertaken ahead of the plan to inform its development.
Multiple Aboriginal groups have connections to the Adelaide River catchment, including the Wulna, Warai, Larrakia, Kungarakan, Limilngan, Uwynmil and Wagiman peoples.
Learnings from this work are intended to inform not only the management of water in the catchment in the long term, but also future approaches to incorporating Aboriginal cultural values into water management in other parts of the Territory.
The conference provided a valuable opportunity to listen to diverse perspectives, exchange ideas and build relationships with peers and community members working to elevate First Nations voices into water management nationally.
These conversations are an important part of building shared understanding, strengthening partnerships and informing decisions about future water management in the Northern Territory.
The Adelaide River Aboriginal cultural water values report will be published in the coming weeks. To stay up to date, sign up to Finding the Balance.
