From the window of a Cessna, the curving shoreline of a lake dissolves into a maze of channels, each one shuttling liquid gold—water—into the baking heart of the Australian Outback.   

Traditional Owners and local pastoralists from Queensland’s Lake Eyre Basin have today won their eight-year-long battle to protect the Basin’s rivers and Channel Country floodplains from gas fracking.

Traditional Owners of the Lake Eyre Basin are working hard to protect Country and culture from the threats posed by inappropriate gas developments. Join us in Brisbane to celebrate the rich and living connections between First Nations cultural heritage and nature conservation - and why both are so important.

Pastoralists, Traditional Owners, scientists, and conservation groups align to support stronger Lake Eyre Basin River protection as Queensland Government releases long-awaited draft options for consultation

Australia’s most pristine river system is the iconic Lake Eyre Basin. For decades, an alliance of graziers, traditional owners and scientists have protected the rivers and wetlands from irrigation. Now the fossil fuel industry is looking to expand gas exploration around the basin, in a move some say will transform the river system.

Today the Lake Eyre Basin (Qld) Stakeholder Advisory Group will meet for the final time to discuss the future of Queensland’s Channel Country rivers and floodplains.

Traditional owners from the Lake Eyre Basin have labelled a State Government proposal that will allow fracking on the Channel Country floodplains and rivers as ‘deeply disappointing’ and the Government’s consultation process as ‘grossly inadequate’.

Deep in the heart of Australia, the Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre Basin is one of the world’s greatest desert river basins. Covering nearly one sixth of the entire country, it is a massive area that holds special significance to the Traditional Owners who have lived in and cared for the land for tens of thousands of years. Despite the environmental and cultural importance of this amazing landscape, it remains threatened by a range of development pressures.

In response to increasing development pressure, eight Traditional Owner groups from the Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre Basin have pledged to work together to protect and manage the rivers, floodplains and groundwaters of the Lake Eyre Basin.

This land is unique, in every sense of the word. Over every rise, over every sand dune is a different view – of wildlife, rivers, mountains and valleys. It’s taking care of this land and ensuring it is protected that is a big part of my job today.