Aboriginal water reserves

Since 2017, the Northern Territory Government has used Aboriginal water reserves to help Aboriginal people get better access to water resources.

The aim of Aboriginal water reserves is to help Aboriginal people access water for economic development. Proposed amendments to the Water Act in 2025 will further simplify this process.

Aboriginal water reserves are a specific portion of water set aside within water allocation plans.

This reserved water is only accessible to eligible Aboriginal people who can use, trade or leave it in the environment.

The amount of water reserved depends on how much water is available under the water allocation plan and the proportion of eligible Aboriginal land that has access to water.

The strategic Aboriginal water reserve policy framework outlines how reserves are implemented.

Read the strategic Aboriginal water reserves policy framework PDF (419.8 KB).

Contact

For more information, contact the Water Resources office.