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 worldDi

aman

tina

Coop

er

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 Fl

ow v

aria

bilit

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 threatsChanges 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 messages1. The Lake Eyre Basin is unique in the world. 2. The Basin is in good condition, but

vulnerable to increasing pressures3. A genuine basin-wide approach is essential4. Working towards real ecological and social

sustainability5. Water is the key

…. we need long-term Government and Community

commitment