Aboriginal communities have say on water

At the Bourke meeting last week – Brad Delaney from the Water Group of the Dept Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water (DCCEEW), Bourke Shire Council General Manager Leonie Brown, Communications Manager DCCEEW Karina Fretwell, Victor Bartley and Thomson Fleming from Ernst & Young. Photo TWH

Staff and consultants from the NSW Office on Water have been in Bourke, Brewarrina and Walgett seeking community input into the draft Aboriginal Water Strategy.

Three meetings were held last week at Bourke’s Full Gospel Family Fellowship Church, the Brewarrina Community Hall and at Walgett – with low to moderate attendance at each meeting.

The government is encouraging Aboriginal communities to have their say on a strategy that is meant to strengthen Aboriginal voices in matters relating to water across NSW.

The strategy aims to ensure Aboriginal people are involved in the decision making, planning and management of water, providing them with greater ownership and better access to water for cultural and economic purposes.

One of the key initiatives of the NSW Water Strategy is to ensure improved access to water for Aboriginal communities.

NSW Executive Director of Regional Water Strategies, Kaia Hodge, said that Aboriginal people have deep cultural and social connections to water. […]

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