The Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport has been created in recognition of the important link between the Territory's greatest assets - intact natural environment and authentic cultural traditions.
A strategy is being prepared for Alice Springs to provide for the best long term use of Alice Springs water resources, balancing social and environmental protection while allowing for economic growth. The strategy aims to establish a clear and simple framework to better manage the water resources of Alice Springs. It seeks to avoid the economic costs and environmental losses due to over extraction, salinity, degrading water quality and to better coordinate government and community activities.
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is an independent body that advises the Northern Territory Government, business and the community on matters of ecological sustainable development. The Authority's primary focus is the investigation of issues within the Northern Territory environmental legislative and policy environment in order to provide public recommendations to the Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage. The EPA is currently reviewing the Northern Territory's environmental impact assessment procedures. The EPA can also accept third party referrals to provide policy level advice on environmental matters.
Riverine flooding occurs when heavy rainfall causes relatively high water levels in rivers or creeks to overtop the banks. The magnitude of a flood is determined by the amount of rainfall that has fallen in the catchment, its duration and its spatial distribution. Floodplain is defined as the area adjacent to a river or creek that is inundated by flood waters and which covers an extent related to the magnitude of the flood. Riverine flooding is one of the major natural disasters in the NT. Several communities and towns are prone to riverine flooding. It also restricts access to some communities and towns from days to weeks.
The Mary River is located 90kms east of Darwin in the Northern Territory with a catchment that covers an area of 8100 km2 with predominately freshwater wetlands extending over approximately 1,300 km2. It is a highly productive area which supports multiple land uses as well as providing habitat for a large range of wildlife, including saltwater crocodile Crocodylus porosus, magpie goose Anseranas semipalmata and barramundi Lates calcarifer.
The Northern Territory Government is providing rebates of up to $50 for certain water saving products and up to $500 for eligible plumbing services purchased by residents in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek.
A wide range of management reforms for better use of water resources has already been completed by the NT and independently assessed by the National Competition Council and the National Water Commission. The National Water Initiative (NWI) has been endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments to drive more reforms for better water management and use to the year 2011.
Native vegetation clearing has been controlled on pastoral land and within the Litchfield Shire for many years. To ensure the sustainable management of the Territory's natural resources, the NT Government introduced native vegetation clearing controls. From here you can access a copy of the Clearing Controls, a register of approved land clearing and electronic copies of current land clearing applications.
The Weed Management Branch works to continually preserve and improve our natural resources, industries, life styles and environment from the introduction and spread of weeds. Weed Management Branch activities include exclusion, eradication where possible, survey & control, data management, education, and in cooperation with other agencies and states integrated management including biological control.
Surface water is water above ground in lakes, waterholes, rivers, wetlands and dams. They are both a natural resource and potential hazard to human activity. Learn everything about surface water from the basics to Telemetered Gauging Stations.
The Natural Systems Division of NRETAS operates and maintains a network of telemetered gauging stations primarily for the purpose of providing flood forecasting advice. These gauging stations are connected to the telephone network and provide near-real-time river heights and rainfall.
Water is essential to life and is one of Australia's most valuable natural resources. It is a finite and fragile resource subject to a complex range of needs and demands ranging from supporting an increasing population to sustaining ecosystem health and biodiversity. The Northern Territory's water resources are generally considered to be under relatively little pressure due to a comparatively small population base and low intensity of land use. This, however, is changing, and as the rest of Australia is experiencing immense pressure on its water resources, the largely intact water resources in the Northern Territory are increasingly becoming subject to higher demands.