NT Supreme Court dismisses legal challenge over massive groundwater licence at Singleton Station

The Northern Territory Supreme Court has dismissed a legal challenge over whether the NT government acted lawfully when it re-granted one of the largest groundwater licences in Australia's history to the owner of a Central Australian cattle station. Key points: The NT Supreme Court has rejected a case brought by traditional owners and environmental groups over a controversial groundwater licence The licence will eventually see 40,000 megalitres of groundwater extracted each year from an arid property north of Alice Springs Opponents fear the licence poses a serious risk to Aboriginal culture and country In November 2021, the NT government re-approved a licence to horticultural venture Fortune Agribusiness to extract 40,000 megalitres of groundwater each year from Singleton Station, an arid cattle property north of Alice Springs, to develop one of the nation's biggest fruit farms. Counsel for ALEC had argued the decision to re-grant the licence was "illogical" on the grounds it was not in accordance with the region's water allocation plan, which is designed to protect groundwater-dependent ecosystems. Justice Barr also said "MAC failed to establish that the minister failed to give proper, reasonable and rational consideration to relevant considerations under Water Act". "This water licence will cause the biggest damage the Northern Territory government will ever create and there will be no way to fix it," a joint community statement read.