Northern Territory
The team will develop tools to assist the development of the first water allocation plan for the Tiwi Islands, off the coast of Darwin.
The islands are composed of Melville Island and Bathurst Island and are inhabited by the Tiwi. The Tiwi number around 2,500. Most residents speak Tiwi as their first language and English as a second language. The islands are held by the Tiwi Aboriginal Land Trust.
The Tiwi Islands play host to significant biodiversity, with diverse 
landscapes ranging from eucalypt forests and tropical savanna to rainforest. In recent years forestry and tourism enterprises have been established in an attempt to generate sustainable livelihoods for the Tiwi land owners.
Historically water use has been low, primarily for domestic use in the indigenous communities, but with new industries and growing Tiwi interest in small scale farming, there is a need to establish a water plan to provide guaranteed supplies for the future and to ensure that environmental and cultural values are sustained. The team will work with local land owners, representative Indigenous organisations, such as Tiwi Land Council, and water planners.
