Highlights and Events
Murray Darling Basin Ministerial Council/ AIATSIS Roundtable on Indigenous Rights and Water (15 August 2003) Canberra
Associate Professor Donna Craig attended a roundtable convened by the Murray Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders Studies Institute (AIATSIS) as part of the Living Murray Initiative preparation of their submission. The MDBC was preparing for the meeting fot the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) which considered the allocation of property rights in water, tradeable permit systems and guaranteed environmental flows in the Murray Darling rivers.
A discussion paper was prepared, following the meeting, which aimed to clarify:
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The legal rights and interests of Indigenous peoples in the Murray River itself, rather than the resources that come out of the river (e.g: fishing rights)
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The social, environmental economic, cultural and political rights of Indigenous peoples in the river; and,
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The elements of debate around these issues.