While this one event is not of decisive impact in itself, it points to a possible likely trend, where Australia’s vital resource of water is given to indigenous groups outside of native title challenges. The Allan Labor Government is returning water to Gunaikurnai Traditional Owners in Gippsland. Gunaikurnai Land and Water Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC) will be given two licences for cultural water use. This will be one of 200 megalitres at Buchan Munji, as well as 500 megalitres of water for the Tambo River. This is to support an alleged deep spiritual connection to the water. Now, to be clear, I have no objection to any Australian having a fair access to water, but water is the scarce resource in this driest continent on Earth.
Yet, could not the same argument about spirit connection be made over all waterways in Australia? Given this political precedent, what is to stop native title being turbo-charged to go after waterways rather than just land? After all, that has not been done to date much, but there is no reason why it will not occur in he future so long as the native title regime exists, which has given around 60 percent of the country to native title.
