IN the NT News, 15 November stated, “This plan is utterly fracked- Community outrage at “reckless” government water scheme.”

The story was referring to the NT Government’s decision to allocate 1.68 trillion litres of water for free, for fracking, cotton growing and agriculture, to be used by these industries over an 8-year period. 

The size of the area from where the water is to be taken is a 155,000 square kilometre region, twice the size of Tasmania. 

There is scientific and environmental concern, that such a large water allocation will affect the flow of the Roper River, Mataranka and Bitter Springs tourist resort. 

The source of water for the Roper River and Mataranka Springs is the Georgina Basin and the Wiso Basins. 

Older Tennant residents would know the Georgina Basin is located east to south-east of Tennant Creek. 

The Wiso Basin is located west of Warrego Mine, west of Tennant Creek. 

The Georgina and Wiso Basins combined make up the area twice the size of Tasmania as mentioned in the news story. 

But what should be concerning is that smack in the middle of the Georgina and Wiso Basins, is the Kelly Basin. 

Kelly Basin is about 20km south of Tennant Creek and is the water supply source for Tennant Creek township. 

Residents of Tennant Creek seem to have been overlooked to be consulted or informed by the NT government about this water allocation from an area where we live, without considering potential impacts to Tennant Creek’s water supply and quality into the future.

– David Curtis Snr, Tennant Creek.