Victoria reaped more than $83 billion in water revenue over the past decade, but a truth-telling inquiry was told Indigenous people were left high and dry after none of that money flowed on to them.
Victorian Water Minister Harriet Shing fronted the Yoorrook Justice Commission on Wednesday, April 24, to give evidence on country at Margooya Lagoon near Robinvale.
Counsel assisting the commission Fiona McLeod put to the minister that over a 13-year period from 2010 to 2023, the state received a total revenue of $83 billion from water.
"How much of that 83 billion in revenue has been distributed to Traditional Owners?" Ms McLeod asked.
"The answer is zero directly," Ms Shing responded.
Despite native title covering 40 per cent of Australian land, Indigenous people hold rights to less than one per cent of surface water, according to the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
In the 2021-22 financial year, the state received about $6.6 billion from inland water revenue which the minister confirmed Traditional Owners received no primary benefits from that.
"How does that sit with you, minister, hearing that?" Yoorrook commissioner Travis Lovett asked.
"Terribly," Ms Shing said.
In October, the Victorian Government issued two licences for cultural water use at eastern Victoria's Buchan Munji and the Tambo River to Gunaikurnai Land and Water Aboriginal Corporation.
Ms Shing noted at the time that Traditional Owners held less than 0.2 per cent of all water access entitlements in Victoria and work was under way to return water management to them.
From 2019 to 2024, the Department of Energy, Environment, Climate Action, which includes the water portfolio, allocated $39.2 million for First Peoples or Traditional Owner water portfolio programs.
The commission was told that of the 16 Traditional Owner water portfolio programs, only 10 were administered by First Peoples businesses and organisations.
Ms Shing admitted that compared to the $83 billion received by the Victorian Government from water revenues, the amount spent on First Peoples’ water programs was very small.
"Allocation of funding has been, without a doubt, undeniably inadequate over a very long period of time," she said.
Of the $39 million allocated to the Indigenous water programs, $5 million was spent on staff costs and about $22 million on a grant program for self determination projects and Aboriginal water officers.
Neither of the two expenditures are controlled by Indigenous people with the minister conceding only two members in the Aboriginal Water Department staff, who received the $5 million, identified as Indigenous.
Yoorrook commissioner Travis Lovett said while reforms had been promised in water allocations, they have been waiting a long time for reforms to occur.
Commissioner Tony North said the hearings had heard about consultation and engagement which has only served to delay more urgent action.
The Yoorook hearings are gathering evidence from First Peoples, academics, researchers and historians on injustices against First Peoples related to land, sky and waters.
Three weeks have been set aside to hear witnesses including the premier, government ministers, senior bureaucrats, organisations and associations, the descendent of a coloniser and Traditional Owners.
The Water is Life report was released by the Victorian Government in 2022, setting up a road map for water recovery for First Nations.
The commissioners pointed out that several of the goals in the action plan had not been achieved in the time required in the document.
The hearing also referenced the ‘Echuca declaration’ made in 2007 which set out demands for the return of water in cultural flows for First Nations people.
The statement was adopted by the Indigenous Nations represented within Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations.
Yoorrook, Victoria's formal truth-telling inquiry and part of the state's treaty process, is set to hand down its final report in 2025.
– From AAP
Victorian Water Minister, Harriet Shing, has come under fire at the Yoorook Justice Commission which is investigating indigenous land and water entitlements.
Several of the Yoorrook Commissioners have asked what has happened to water that was supposed to have been transferred to FIrst Nations people.
At the April 24 hearing, Ms Shing acknowledged the state had not returned water to indigenous people in any significant volume.
Yoorrook Commissioner Travis Lovett, said while reforms had been promised in water allocations, they have been waiting a long time for reforms to occur.
Commissioner Tony North said the hearings have heard about consultation and engagement which has only served to delay more urgent action.
THe Yoorook heaerings are gathering evidence from First Peoples, academics, researchers and historians on injustices against First Peoples related to land, sky and waters.
Three weeks have been seet aside to hear witnesses including the premier, government ministers, senior bureaucrats, organisations and associations, the descendent of a coloniser and Traditional Owners.
The Water is Life report was released by the Victorian Government in 2022, setting up a road map for water recovery for First Nations.
The Commissioners pointed out that several of the goals in the action plan had not been achieved in the time required in the document.
The hearing also referenced the “Echuca declaration” made in 2007 which set out demands for the return of water in cultural flows for First NAtions people.
The statement was adopted by the Indigenous Nations represented within Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations.