Singleton Station: Legal action over groundwater licence decision

A leading environment group is taking legal action over the largest groundwater licence agreement in the Territory’s history.

A CENTRAL Australian environmental group is taking legal action over the largest groundwater licence decision in Territory history.

In November 2021, a licence was regranted to Fortune Agribusiness that allows them to extract 40,000 megalitres of water each year at Singleton Station.

The Arid Lands Environment Centre has filed judicial review proceedings against environment minister Eva Lawler.

“The government is giving away water for free to developers like it’s infinite,” ALEC general manager Jade Kudrenko said.

“Our communities and the environment will bear devastating costs if they don’t slow down.”

The Central Land Council also demanded the NT government scrap the water licence decision back in November.

The ALEC are now calling for an independent regulator to be established.

“We need a complete overhaul of our Water Act to bring it in line with 21st century challenges and expectations,” Ms Kudrenko said.

The centre’s legal action is being represented by the Environmental Defenders Office.

Managing lawyer Emma Carmody said the decision was based on “a non-statutory policy”.

“Our client alleges that the Minister could not have granted the licence if she had correctly applied the Water Act and adhered to the existing Water Allocation Plan for the area,” she said.

“This is an enormous and incredibly unsustainable development that should have no place in the arid zone.”

A spokeswoman for Ms Lawler said the NT government were looking into the plan further.

“The Territory Government is developing a long-term, comprehensive Strategic Water Plan to ensure the sustainable management of our water resources.”

“This matter is subject to legal dispute and therefore we cannot comment any further at this time.”

DEPUTY CHIEF SUED OVER MINE MANAGEMENT

THE Northern Territory’s second-in-command is being sued over a $120m discount to the McArthur River Mine’s security bond.

Deputy Chief Minister and Mining Minister Nicole Manison has been locked in a long-running legal stoush with environmentalists for approving a “mining management plan”, which cut the security bond for the Glencore operated mine from $520 to $400m.

Legal representatives dialled into the NT Supreme Court on Thursday for a mention of the case, which was filed in March 2021.

The motion from Josephine Davey, Jack Green and the Environment Centre of the NT has previously claimed the security bond for the zinc and lead mine in the Gulf of Carpentaria was “incomprehensible” given the environmental risks. Ms Manison has yet to file her defence to the Further Amended Originating Motion

On Thursday Justice Meredith Huntingford adjourned the matter to April 7.