1. The Lake Eyre Basin

2. Lake Eyre Basin Great Artesian Basin

3. 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 Diamantina Cooper Georgina

4. LEB Landscapes – bioregions

5. Mitchell Grass Downs

6. Channel Country

7. Simpson- Strzelecki Dune Fields

8. Stony Plains

9. Macdonnell Ranges

10. Salt Lakes

11. Significant places ● Channel country ● Permanent waterholes ● Mound Springs ● Ramsar wetlands – Coongie Lakes ● Aboriginal heritage sites

12. High flow variability Flow variability Lake Eyre Basin rivers

13. High flows ….

14. Low flows ….

15. Boom ….

16. …. bust

17. Human footprint Towns Geothermal energy Oil, gas and mining Grazing & agriculture Tourism

18. Unsustainable practices – Murray-Darling Basin ● Chowilla ● Gwydir wetlands ● Coorong Macquarie Marshes

19. … the Lake Eyre Basin is remarkably unscathed

20. Emerging threats Changes to flow Vegetation clearing Weeds Feral pigs Feral animals

21. Critical vulnerability ….. Changes to flow major dams flow diversion levee banks & floodplain harvesting on-farm storages

22. Looking after this resource ….

23. Oct 2000 Effective June 2001 Northern Territory 2004 reviewed June 2007

24. Catalysts for sustainability Proposal for World Heritage listing (1993) Currareva cotton application (1995)

25. → 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

26. The Lake Eyre Basin Process Grass-roots/bottom-up – community initiated Community involvement remains strong

27. Current arrangements –Agreement Scientific Community Government Agencies – Water and Environment Intergovernmental Agreement Ministerial Forum

28. Lake Eyre Basin Agreement …. is about balance Socio-economic viability Ecological sustainability

29. 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

30. …. we need long-term Government and Community commitment