Aboriginal water reserves

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

The aim of Aboriginal water reserves is to help Aboriginal people access water for economic development.

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

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.

Access

Read the Aboriginal water reserves guide PDF (1.7 MB) to learn about:

• allocation
• eligibility
• access
• establishing agreements.

Follow the application process to apply for a water extraction licence from Aboriginal water reserves.

Policy framework

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.