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Support the protection of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River

The WA Government is considering whether to allocate vast amounts of ground water and surface water from the Martuwarra. Traditional Owners from the Martuwarra Fitzroy River have never consented to the extraction of water and oppose development of the River and its floodplain.

Plans for large-scale irrigation will lead to irreversible damage for the River, wildlife and the community. Let the government know today that you stand with Traditional Owners.

The Government Water Paper does not follow the wishes of the Traditional Owners along the Martuwarra Fitzroy River and their requests for the River to be protected. Instead, it raises many issues of serious concern:

  • The Fitzroy River is Western Australia’s longest listed Aboriginal Heritage site - as well as numerous listed sites along the river and on the floodplains. The Discussion Paper fails to adequately protect the National Heritage listed cultural and natural values of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River.

  • Traditional Owners have native title rights all along the river and have requested the WA Government to commit to resourcing further discussion through the Kimberley Land Council and the native title groups. The Discussion Paper fails to provide Native Title holders with the full and engaged consultation, consent, and ongoing role in management that they have numerously requested.

The WA Government is considering whether to allocate vast amounts of ground water and surface water from the Martuwarra. Traditional Owners from the Martuwarra Fitzroy River have never consented to the extraction of water and oppose development of the River and its floodplain.

Plans for large-scale irrigation will lead to irreversible damage for the River, wildlife and the community. Let the government know today that you stand with Traditional Owners.

WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE A SUBMISSION

The Government Water Paper does not follow the wishes of the Traditional Owners along the Martuwarra Fitzroy River and their requests for the River to be protected. Instead, it raises many issues of serious concern:

  • The Fitzroy River is Western Australia’s longest listed Aboriginal Heritage site - as well as numerous listed sites along the river and on the floodplains. The Discussion Paper fails to adequately protect the National Heritage listed cultural and natural values of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River.

  • Traditional Owners have native title rights all along the river and have requested the WA Government to commit to resourcing further discussion through the Kimberley Land Council and the native title groups. The Discussion Paper fails to provide Native Title holders with the full and engaged consultation, consent, and ongoing role in management that they have numerously requested.

The WA Government's Managing water in the Fitzroy River Catchment: Discussion paper for stakeholder consultation closed for comment on 31 August 2021.
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Protect the Martuwarra Fitzroy River

The WA Government's Managing water in the Fitzroy River Catchment: Discussion paper for stakeholder consultation closed for comment on 31 August 2021. Sign up to receive the KLC newsletter to stay in touch about the Martuwarra Fitzroy River here

    Please accept this submission to the public consultation for the WA Government’s Fitzroy River Water Discussion Paper Managing water in the Fitzroy River Catchment.

    The Martuwarra is our vital water system and is National heritage listed for its Indigenous cultural values. The Fitzroy River is Western Australia’s longest listed Aboriginal Heritage site and there are numerous listed sites along the river and on the floodplains. Despite these layers of heritage recognition, the WA Government’s Discussion Paper proposes to allocate vast amounts of ground water and surface water to encourage agricultural corporations to establish a new irrigation industry in the Fitzroy Catchment.

    Aboriginal people have not consented to this large-scale irrigation extraction process and oppose development of the Fitzroy River and its floodplain. The ripple effects of taking water would be devastating for the heritage sites and values that both National and state legislation are supposed to be protecting.

    Instead of the proposed methodology of using water allocations to manage the river, I would like to see the Martuwarra Fitzroy River protected. The Discussion Paper fails to provide a mechanism for adequately protecting the National Heritage listed cultural and natural values of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River. It also fails to provide Native Title holders with the full and engaged consultation, consent, and ongoing role in management that they have numerously requested.

    Traditional Owners have native title rights all along the river and have requested the WA Government commit to resourcing further discussion through the Kimberley Land Council and the native title groups. These discussions must include all traditional owners and native title holders with an interest in the river and its catchments. The Martuwarra is one living system; what happens in one part of the river, affects the whole river and therefore all voices must be considered.

    Yours Sincerely,