Territory Rivers: Keep 'em Flowing

Territory Rivers: Keep 'em Flowing Our rivers are the special places that make the Top End lifestyle happen. But they're under threat. Authorised by K. Howey, 98 Woods St Darwin

03/09/2026

Indigenous Nations-led and governed water organisations representing more than 100 Nations, Peoples and language groups have joined together to call on the Australian Government to deliver a stronger national vision for water reform through the review of the Water Act.

First Nations peoples cared for the Territory’s rivers for countless generations - but too often, this ongoing care and ...
02/09/2026

First Nations peoples cared for the Territory’s rivers for countless generations - but too often, this ongoing care and connection is not reflected in our laws.

The federal Water Act Review is an important opportunity to change this.

The Territory Rivers: Keep ’Em Flowing alliance has made a submission calling on the Federal Government to strengthen First Nations water rights, recognise self-determined governance and ensure Traditional Owners have a meaningful role in decisions affecting their Country.

Protecting the Territory rivers means listening to and sharing real decision-making power with the people who have cared for them since time immemorial.

https://territoryrivers.org.au/why-is-the-water-act-review-important-for-nt-rivers/

Traditional Owners have won a historic High Court battle over one of the largest groundwater licences ever granted in th...
26/08/2026

Traditional Owners have won a historic High Court battle over one of the largest groundwater licences ever granted in the Northern Territory.

After years of fighting, the Mpwerempwer Aboriginal Corporation successfully challenged the licence, which could have allowed up to 40 billion litres of groundwater to be taken each year.

This victory shows the power of Traditional Owners standing up for Country - and why their knowledge, rights and voices must guide decisions about the Territory’s water.

Read more:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-05/high-court-favour-native-title-holders-fighting-nt-water-licence/106998088

18/08/2026

The Roper River is alive 24 hours a day.

As the sun sets, a different world emerges. Ghost bats leave their roosts to hunt, frogs fill the air with calls after rain, freshwater crocodiles patrol the shallows, and fish feed beneath the surface.

While much of the landscape rests, the river continues to provide food, shelter and safe passage for an incredible diversity of wildlife.

Day and night, the Roper is a lifeline - for nature, for culture, and for future generations.



Desert Tree frog recording: Chris Harrison

14/08/2026

The Roper River is a wildlife highway.

As the seasons change, fish move upstream to breed, birds follow the wetlands, flying foxes track flowering trees, and freshwater species rely on connected waterways to survive.

When rivers remain connected from their headwaters to the sea, nature can keep moving just as it has for thousands of years.

The Roper reminds us that every bend, billabong and floodplain is part of something much bigger.

10/08/2026

It all starts here.

The crystal-clear waters of Mataranka and Bitter Springs aren't just beautiful places for a swim - they're where the Roper River begins.

Every day, water that has travelled through deep underground aquifers bubbles up to the surface, feeding the springs before flowing north to become one of the Territory's most important rivers.

What starts as a quiet spring ends up supporting fish, turtles, freshwater crocodiles, birds, communities and culture for hundreds of kilometres downstream.

Looking after these springs means looking after the Roper from the very beginning.

06/08/2026

In the wet season, the Roper expands into a huge, connected landscape, and its seasonal flooding is ecologically important across the river system. Flooding helps connect off-channel wetlands with the main river, moving water, nutrients and aquatic life across the floodplain.

One of the things that makes the Roper unique is its strong dry-season flow. The river is perennial for more than 200 km upstream of the detectable tidal limit. That means the river keeps supporting wildlife, fishing and river life long after the wet season has passed.

03/08/2026

The Roper catchment supports some of the Top End’s most extraordinary wildlife - including threatened species such as the freshwater sawfish, Gouldian finch, and black-footed tree-rat. With wetlands, floodplains, woodlands and estuary habitat all connected, this river system is far more than just beautiful - it’s home to some of our most unique creatures.

30/07/2026

When people think of crocs in the Territory, they will generally picture a giant salty. While they might not be as iconic, freshwater crocodiles are just as important to the health of the Territory's Big Rivers.

Unlike their larger saltwater cousins, freshwater crocodiles are shy, rarely pose a threat to people, and play an important role in keeping river ecosystems healthy.

The Northern Territory's great free-flowing rivers support unique aquatic and semi-aquatic life including an abundance of fish, turtles, saltwater and freshwater crocodiles.

We need to keep our rivers flowing to protect our iconic, and lesser known, wildlife.

Have you spotted a freshwater crocodile on the Roper? Share your photos or stories in the comments.

27/07/2026

From spring-fed inland reaches to floodplains, then on to a tidal estuary near the Gulf, the Roper changes character as it travels across Country. That mix of freshwater, wetland and estuarine environments is part of what makes it so special.

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98 Woods Street
Darwin, NT
0800

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