Advancing SA’s First Nations water interests – walking together for fairer water allocation

News article | 01 November 2024

Water is central to the cultural, social and spiritual identity of Australia's First Nations people, as well as to their livelihoods. They also feel a moral obligation to care for it.[1]

As landscape boards we are embedded in local communities and well positioned to help others to care for land, water, and nature.

To do this we strive to walk alongside First Nations people to learn more about how we can recognise and respect their spiritual, cultural, environmental, and economic connections to water.

First Nations see the health of water as integral to the health of people, Country and culture; to be managed as one system.

'The approach of Aboriginal nations to caring for the Country that all South Australians live in, can be understood through the words of Ngarrindjeri Elder, Tom Trevorrow (deceased):

“Our traditional management plan was don’t be greedy, don’t take any more than you need and respect everything around you. That’s the management plan – it’s such a simple management plan, but so hard for people to carry out.”' [2]

How is cultural water defined?

The terms cultural water and cultural flows are sometimes used interchangeably.

Murray Lower–Darling River Indigenous Nations and Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations define Cultural flows as:

'Water entitlements that are legally and beneficially owned by the Indigenous Nations of a sufficient and adequate quantity and quality to improve the spiritual, cultural, environmental, social and economic conditions of those Indigenous Nations. This is our inherent right.'

(Echuca Declaration, 2010) [3]

Why is cultural water important?

The Murray–Darling Basin Authority describes why cultural flows are critical for First Nations peoples:

‘Cultural flows benefit practical activities like fishing, hunting, ceremonies and harvesting medicinal plants and herbs. They also preserve and protect important assets including burial mounds, scarred trees, and campsites which help maintain connections to Country. Identity, wellbeing, capacity building and intergenerational teaching are also key components of cultural flows.’ [4]

How are First Nations’ water values incorporated into water planning and management in South Australia?

Landscape boards lead the development of water allocation plans (WAPs).

A water allocation plan is a legal document that sets out the rules for managing the take and use of prescribed water resources to ensure they are used sustainably.

First Nations are currently being actively engaged in water planning in Northern and Yorke, Hills and Fleurieu, Murraylands and Riverland and Eyre Peninsula regions.

Two examples of where two-way knowledge sharing with First Nations peoples informed water allocation planning:

Amendments to the Marne Saunders WAP in Murraylands and Riverland

In 2019 amendments were made to the Water Allocation Plan for the Marne Saunders Prescribed Water Resources Area specifically to include and respond to important input from the First Nations community about Aboriginal water values.

The inclusion of Peramangk and Ngadjuri knowledge has allowed two-way knowledge sharing between First Nations science and western science - incorporating cultural knowledge added value and depth to the plan.

Cultural water consumptive pool available in the SA Arid Lands

The SA Arid Lands Landscape Board included provisions for Cultural water in the development of the board’s Water Allocation Plan for the Far North Prescribed Wells (PWA) Area, released in 2021.

First Nations with Country located within the Far North PWA were consulted in the development of the plan, to make sure the water needs of these First Nations were recognised and respected.

These needs included access to the resource, recognising and incorporating traditional knowledge in the management of the take and use of water from the groundwater resource and ensuring sites of cultural significance are not damaged, disturbed or interfered with in the taking of water.

A water license is not required by First Nations for use of water in this consumptive pool, as the pool recognises the inherent right of Aboriginal people to have access to water on Country.

Are there cultural flows happening in SA?

The Environmental and Cultural Flows project in the Northern and Yorke region aims to restore flows in three priority catchment areas - Baroota, Beetaloo (Crystal Brook) and Barossa.

This project provides an opportunity to restore environmental and cultural flows to these systems to bring back ecosystem health in collaboration with First Nations, landholders and government agencies.

It began with 3 trial water releases from SA Water’s Beetaloo and Baroota reservoirs in 2021 and 2022 in response to community concerns about the health of ancient river red gums. This year, the releases were repeated, with more than a billion litres of water flowing into Baroota and Crystal Brook creeks in late winter.

Among other goals, the project aims to support First Nations access to important cultural sites and involvement in monitoring.

It also aims to involve First Nations communities in the delivery of project activities, providing opportunities for training and employment in monitoring activities, and, in collaboration with landholders, enable visits to cultural sites and restoration and areas of cultural value and significance.

Hear from Nukunu man Travis Thomas about cultural water values in the Baroota area of the Northern and Yorke region for the Nukunu First Nation people. [5]