The Northern Land Council, representing Roper River catchment traditional owners, has called on the NT government to rewrite the “appalling” draft Mataranka water allocation plan, while the NT Farmers Association has called for compensation for farmers, it has been reported.

The National Indigenous Times reported that NLC chair Matthew Ryan was critical of what he said was short term thinking and unsustainable planning by the government, who he said did not consider the Roper River system’s cultural and environmental values.

“Territorians are being presented with a plan that ignores the community’s views and puts the health of the springs at Mataranka and the Roper River at serious risk,” Mr Ryan said.

“The Ngalakgan, Alawa, Mangarrayi, Ngandi, Marra, Warndarrang, Nunggubuyu, Ritharrngu-Wagilak and Rembarrnga of the Roper are unified, they have been clear. They want a ban on all further water extraction, protection of environmental and Indigenous cultural values, and joint decision-making, including with the downstream communities.

“Our waters are sacred, our songlines follow the water, they are crucial to our people’s way of life. This plan jeopardises our country and the future generations who will care for it.

“The draft plan is blatantly disrespectful to the traditional owners who have been fighting for decades to protect the Roper River.”

The NT News reported the NTFA chief executive Greg Troughton said the government needed to help farmers more with compensation for stifled water allocations.

“They’ve almost declared a ‘no grow, no go’ zone in the southern zone of the Mataranka water plan, which says that if you’re a farmer there, don’t expect any more water,” he said.

“Our main concern is we’ve got farmers that have worked hard to build farms in that area, and now, in effect, they can’t go ahead with those plans.

“We need to talk about compensation because these hard-working farmers have developed this over many years under the existing water licensing regime, and the government’s doing a U-turn.”

While the NT News said Environment Minister Kate Worden said public consultation for the draft Mataranka plan closed earlier this month and she was waiting a brief from the department.

“No decision has been made regarding the draft plan,” she said.