Aboriginal water grant: 2000ML of Mitchell River water for Gunaikurnai
Victorian Water Minister Lisa Neville has granted 2000ML of Mitchell River water to Gunaikurnai Aboriginal Corporation —and put another 4000ML up for sale to East Gippsland irrigators.
THE Andrews Government has granted Gippsland’s Gunaikurnai Land and Water Aboriginal Corporation 2000 megalitres of unallocated winter-fill entitlement on the Mitchell River, with another 4000ML to be sold to irrigators.
Mitchell River vegetable irrigator and Bonaccord director Ross Ingram said the Government had been sitting on the 6000ML for years, so he was glad to see that it was at last being released for development.
“My understanding is 2000ML will be put on the market immediately, with another 2000ML at later date (next year),” Mr Ingram said.
“We just built a new dam and want a bit more winter fill (licence).”
But the Lindenow grower said it was impossible to judge how much the water was worth, given none had been traded for years and “there’s only three or four of us who held winter-fill licence prior to this”.
All up, Mr Ingram said, just 2.5 per cent of the Mitchell River's flows had been allocated as entitlement to irrigators.
But using water comes at huge cost on the Mitchell, given irrigators must first invest in a storage dam into which they can harvest high winter-spring flows, plus on-farm irrigation infrastructure.
That requirement means the Gunaikurnai Corporation is limited as to what it can do with the 2000ML of winter-fill licence it has been granted.
Gunaikurnai Corporation chief executive Roger Fenwick said traditional owners would use the water for cultural purposes, to water wetlands and for economic benefit.
“At the moment it will remain in the river, while we work with our community on its best use,” he said.
Asked if the corporation would be willing to lease the water to the controversial Kalbar Operation fingerboards sand mine, which needs about 3000ML, Mr Fenwick said “it’s not our plan”.
“Kalbar is still in the EES (Environmental Effects Statement) process, so they can’t apply for water,” he said.
Ms Neville said the Victorian Government had invested $5 million to develop a road map to support Aboriginal use and access to water, as well as helping them establish and develop water-related businesses.
“Traditional owners have cultural, spiritual, and economic connections to land, water and resources through their relationship with country — having managed land and water sustainably over thousands of generations,” Ms Neville said.
“I want to see the water sector and traditional owners working closely together, with water entitlements supporting business, cultural, recreational and environmental outcomes for Aboriginal communities and the broader region.”
Victorian Farmers Federation water council chairman Richard Anderson said he was all for Aboriginal groups having a say in the management of water, but said the government should limit their traditional owner corporations from being able to sell off entitlement, so there was something left for future generations.
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