Access to reliable water is an important consideration for agriculture and food production on Cape York Peninsula. For producers, Traditional Owners, councils and community groups looking to establish or expand food production enterprises, understanding how water is managed and allocated can help inform planning and investment decisions.
The TNQ Drought Hub has partnered with Cape York NRM to develop a new fact sheet explaining the Water Plan (Cape York) 2019 and the options available to enterprises seeking access to water.
The resource was developed following discussions about the Cape York Water Plan and water allocations for food security projects. It is designed to support Indigenous businesses, community enterprises and climate-smart food security projects, including irrigated agriculture, market gardens, aquaponics, aquaculture, horticulture and native food production.
Understanding CYPHA water
More than 90 per cent of the consumptive water available under the Cape York Water Plan is reserved within the Cape York Peninsula Heritage Area (CYPHA) Reserve to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander economic and social development. This includes the option of leaving water in rivers and creeks to contribute to environmental flows.
CYPHA water is allocated to eligible Land Trusts and Registered Native Title Bodies Corporate (RNTBCs), based on their interest in land within the Water Plan catchments. It can support a range of economic and community activities, including agriculture, aquaculture and food security.
For businesses and enterprises that are not eligible to hold a CYPHA water licence, there may be an opportunity to access water through an assignment and sublicensing arrangement with an eligible licence holder. This generally involves discussing water requirements, negotiating an agreement and obtaining departmental approval.
There are also other options, including purchasing or leasing existing non-Indigenous water licences where available, constructing an off-stream dam to capture overland flow subject to requirements, or seeking a release of unallocated water from the general or strategic reserves. However, the fact sheet notes that the water market in Cape York is not well established.
For anyone considering an agricultural or food production enterprise, the fact sheet recommends starting discussions early with Land Trusts, RNTBCs and government agencies to identify the most suitable pathway for accessing water.
A more detailed manual is also being developed to help communities better understand their water rights, including options for assigning water allocations to third parties.
View the Fact Sheet.
This work is collaboratively supported through the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust Climate-Smart Agriculture Program and the TNQ Drought Hub, delivered by Cape York NRM.