- New Cultural Flows Project Officers to work for 3 years on cultural research and engagement
- Part of the bipartisan commitment to deliver the Murray-Darling Bain Plan
- Officers will engage with more than 40 Aboriginal Nations in the Murray-Darling Basin
Aboriginal people will get a bigger say on how water is managed in the Murray-Darling Basin with the appointment of two Cultural Flows Project Officers.
Minister for Water Resources David Littleproud said the Northern Basin officer had been hired and would start next month while recruitment had started for an officer in the Southern Basin.
"I'm proud our first peoples will have a say in how the Basin is run," Minister Littleproud said.
"There are more than 40 Aboriginal nations with strong ties to the Basin's water and the life it brings.
"The officers will engage with all of those nations to help research cultural water use.
"The officers will work with peak Basin Aboriginal Organisations to protect cultural flows.
"This gives Aboriginal people a stronger voice and empowers them to decide on their priorities.
"I am committed to improving Aboriginal input in Murray–Darling Basin management.
"This is part of the bipartisan Basin Plan Commitments Package to support the Plan's roll-out.
"Earlier we appointed Mick Keelty as Northern Basin Commissioner to police compliance.
"There's 10 other commitments to improve Aboriginal outcomes and we're getting through them.
"We've passed laws so the Murray–Darling Basin Authority has to report on cultural water use every year and its first report will be out this month.
The MDBA has also committed more than a million dollars to fund further work on cultural flows.
The programs are part of the Basin toolkit, part of the Northern Basin amendment recommended by the MDBA which secured 70GL of water for northern famers.
Fast Facts:
- Two Cultural Flows Project Officers will work for 3 years with Basin Aboriginal groups.
- The jobs are for Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN) and the Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations (NBAN) which are funded by the MDBA.
- Funding for the new jobs honours a commitment under the Basin Plan commitments package.
