Some more on why this water hand back matters so very much - a thread. https://twitter.com/EzzyOD/status/1326644865464115200

Aboriginal people own less than 1% of water rights across Australia. In 2020, @Lana_Hartwig et al showed it was only 0.22% in NSW MDB, and Aboriginal water ownership has gone backwards by 17% in the last decade.

Aboriginal water law expert #VirginiaMarshall traces this water dispossession back to the old lie of terra nullius #aquanullius, which was only made worse when water was separated from land (so now land rights don't always bring water rights)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have never ceded their rights to lands *and* waters. @bradmoggo reminds us that Nations have water laws and water science based on tens of thousands of years of sustainable management.

Before today, only a tiny handful of Aboriginal-owned organisations (I can count them on one hand) and one Traditional Owner (Taungurung Clans Aboriginal Corporation) owned water rights in Victoria.

As GunaiKurnai CEO Roger Fenwick says, today's announcement of the hand back of two gigalitres (2000 ML; 1 ML = 1 million litres) of water to #GunaiKurnai is a "momentous outcome". It is an essential demonstration of good faith by @VicGovAu in their #WaterforVictoria commitments.

This is only a first step. I hope we'll see similar announcements of water hand back for every Nation who wants it across Victoria (and Australia!). #waterjustice @MLDRIN @FVTOC