`O’Donnell, E., Langton, P. M., & Jackson, S. (n.d.). Regressive changes to Northern Territory water laws could undermine Indigenous rights. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/regressive-changes-to-northern-territory-water-laws-could-undermine-indigenous-rights-166561

In the Northern Territory of Australia, underground water licenses are being handed to major companies which will then obtain the water that now belongs to the Indigenous people of the area. The Aboriginal people are frustrated saying they “are not being listened to”. New law in the area, due to COVID, granted the government the right to undermine the “standards of water governance” meaning the water that is (was) reserved for the Aboriginal land owners. Water in the Northern Territory is a valuable resource due to the dry climate and the Reservoir that they are letting these companies pull that water from were allocated originally to the Indigenous people only with “recognised rights to land”. The reservoir once the companies begin to pull from it, will dry out. There is little water in the area already, therefore setting the Aboriginal people at a major disadvantage. There are currently many bills being written establishing the government’s ability to keep granting water to companies for trade and for more allocation plans and reducing public feedback on where the water goes.

In my opinion, I think that stripping the Aboriginal people of their rights and access to their water sources is extremely wrong. As the government is more focused on economic advantages, by increasing trade for more profit, they are hurting their own people who are very loyal due to being Indigenous to the land. These people did not do anything wrong and they are already at a disadvantage with the dry climate, and now their main Aboriginal Water Reserve is being drained for more money, which will not go to benefit them in any way. This article relates to environmental science as it discusses the struggle between economic advantage and what’s environmentally right for the area and its people. I believe there is a good middle ground where the government can allocate water to the Indigenous people while only using a certain percentage of the water for profit.