The Aboriginal Water Entitlements Program makes $100 million available to buy water in the basin, with Traditional Owners representatives to determine how the money is spent.
An interim governance body has been set up by Federal Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek so water entitlements can be purchased, before a permanent body is established.
Its directors and advisory group members were independently selected from First Nations groups in the basin.
A strategic purchasing framework has also been released outlining the types of water entitlements and purchase methods, including through brokers, expressions of interest, market-led proposals or gifts.
Victoria's Yoorrook Justice Commission was told in April native title covers 40 per cent of Australian land yet Indigenous people held rights to less than one per cent of surface water.
The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies also testified that the state had received some $6.6 billion from inland water revenue for 2021-22, of which Traditional Owners had received no primary benefit.
The entitlements program was initially announced as a $40 million federal commitment by the former Coalition government in 2018, but failed to come to fruition.
Its revival and upgrade was flagged by Ms Plibersek following a deal with the Greens in late 2023, and welcomed by Indigenous groups.
Ms Plibersek will report annually to parliament on the social and economic impacts of water purchasing programs.
Most of the interim program advisory group are from NSW. They are: Erica Smits, Gamilaroi; Gordon (Ross) Mitchell, Kooma; Feli McHughes, Ngemba; Ian Woods, Nari Nari; Isabel Goolagong, Wiradjuri; Maria (Polly) Cutmore, Gomeroi; Melissa Kennedy, Tati Tati and Ronni O'Donnell, Kureinji.
The chair is paid $620/day and members are paid $550/day.
The program directorate works with the department to make commercial and water purchasing decisions in the best interest of basin First Nations.
The interim program directors are: chair Sheryl Hedges, branch head, First Nations Water Branch (Australian Public Service financial delegate), Walbanga; director: Jamie Woods, Nari Nari; and director: Fred Hooper, Murrawarri. Directors are paid $760/day.
– With AAP.
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