TheLake Eyre
Basin
Lake Eyre Basin
Great Artesian Basin
Lake Eyre Basin
1.2 million square kilometres
Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre - one of the larger
terminal lakes in the world
among the last major free-flowing rivers in
the world
Dia
man
tina
Coo
per
Georgina
LEB Landscapes – bioregions
Mitchell Grass
Downs
Channel Country
Simpson-Strzelecki
Dune Fields
Stony Plains
Macdonnell Ranges
Salt Lakes
Significant places
● Channel country
●
Permanent waterholes
●
Mound Springs
●
Ramsar wetlands –
Coongie Lakes
●
Aboriginal heritage sites
High flow variability F
low
var
iab
ilit
y
Lake Eyre Basin rivers
High flows ….
Low flows ….
Boom ….
…. bust
Human footprint Towns
Geothermal energy
Oil, gas and mining
Grazing & agriculture
Tourism
Unsustainable practices –
Murray-Darling Basin
●
Chowilla
●
Gwydir wetlands
●Coorong
Macquarie Marshes
… the Lake Eyre Basin is remarkably unscathed
Emerging threats
Changes to flow Vegetation clearing
Weeds
Feral pigs
Feral animals
Critical vulnerability….. Changes to flow
• major dams
• flow diversion
• levee banks & floodplain harvesting
• on-farm storages
Looking after this resource ….
• Oct 2000
• Effective June 2001
• Northern Territory 2004
• reviewed June 2007
Catalysts for sustainability
• Proposal for World Heritage
listing (1993)
• Currareva cotton application (1995)
→ Very strong community response
Supported by State and Federal governments
• Lake Eyre Catchment Protection Group
• Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group
• Coopers Creek and Georgina-Diamantina Catchment Committees
The Lake Eyre Basin Process
• Grass-roots/bottom-up – community initiated
• Community involvement remains strong
Current arrangements –Agreement
Scientific
Community
Government Agencies – Water and
Environment
Intergovernmental Agreement
Ministerial Forum
Lake Eyre Basin Agreement
…. is about balance
Socio-economic viability
Ecological sustainability
Key messages
1. The Lake Eyre Basin is unique in the world.
2. The Basin is in good condition, but vulnerable to increasing pressures
3. A genuine basin-wide approach is essential
4. Working towards real ecological and social sustainability
5. Water is the key
…. we need long-term
Government and Community
commitment