Overview
The waters of the Murray–Darling Basin are a vital part of the connection to Culture and Country for over 50 First Nations communities. The impacts of colonisation have deeply affected these communities' access to water. First Nations Peoples currently own less than 0.2 percent of surface water entitlements.
The Australian Government has committed to increasing First Nations water ownership and management in the Basin through the $100 million Aboriginal Water Entitlements Program and its associated enduring water holding arrangement.
To help Basin First Nations get ready to own and manage water entitlements for the cultural and economic benefit of their Nation, we’re also delivering the $20 million Cultural Flows Planning for Cultural Economies program.
This program will support Basin First Nations to prepare Cultural flows plans which could assist in owning and managing water in ways that address their Nation's spiritual, Cultural, environmental, social, and economic needs.
The program will run for 3 years with applications for funding expected to open in late 2024.
The program builds upon important work already undertaken by First Nations Peoples across Australia. You can find out more about the work already undertaken at the ‘read more’ section below.
We want to ensure the program provides equitable opportunities for Basin First Nations to plan to hold and manage water for:
Cultural purposes
economic gain.
The Cultural Flows Planning for Cultural Economies Program is for providing funding for Basin First Nations to develop plans; it will not provide funds to implement activities or purchase capital items identified in the plans that are produced as part of this program or that may already exist.
If you are a Basin First Nation individual, group or organisation we want to hear from you about how key elements of the program should be designed.
You can:
Take our online survey
Talk with us face-to-face.
Click on the below links to register to join a virtual roundtable on your preferred date:
You are welcome to join as many of the roundtables as you like.
If you have any questions or would prefer to share your views on the program design with us one-to-one, email firstnationswater@dcceew.gov.au to arrange a one-to-one virtual meeting or phone call between 1 July and 19 July 2024.
Please ensure your email includes your:
name and Nation
preferred date and time to chat with us
phone number for us to call you back.
We thank you in advance for your time and look forward to hearing your views.
Submit your feedback by (AEST) 11.59pm, 19 July 2024.
