Call for protection of Fitzroy River as Western Australia election deadline looms
The West Australian Government is being urged by a Native Title Group not to bow to pressure to open up the mighty Fitzroy River in the state's north to large-scale irrigation.
Nearly three years since Labor made an election promise to stimulate economic development in the region, pastoralists have been lobbying for a long-awaited water allocation plan.
But a key Aboriginal group involved in the difficult negotiations is urging the Government to take all the time it needs.
Head and shoulders shot of Joe Ross
The Bunuba people, one of several Aboriginal groups whose traditional lands covered the massive Fitzroy catchment, have been against plans to harness hundreds of gigalitres of water to expand and drought-proof the cattle industry.
Bunuba man, Joe Ross, said the Fitzroy River was important because of its biodiversity and its value in supporting the law and culture of several language groups.
