Indigenous rights to water in the Murray Darling Basin: in support of the Indigenous final report to the Living Murray Initiative

The Indigenous Nations were the first peoples of the Murray, the first managers, the first to earn their livelihoods, and the first to congregate and recreate on the river. Because of their asserted sovereignty through law and spirituality, they are contemporary custodians and they will likely be the last people to leave the Murray. This relationship places Indigenous Nations of the Murray in a unique situation as interest holders.

The Discussion Paper draws on the outcomes of the Indigenous peoples’ consultations with the Murray Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) as part of the Living Murray Initiative. This Paper seeks to place the views and aspiration expressed in those documents within a broader Indigenous rights context.

While this paper often focuses on the Murray River as an engagement with the Living Murray Initiative many of the issues raised are relevant to both the Murray and Darling Rivers and more broadly.