The NT’s environment department has been warned about water allocation plans that could be “catastrophic” for the environment.

The Northern Territory Government released the draft Georgina Wiso Water Allocation Plan for public comment, which has been criticised by water policy experts and environmental groups. 

The draft Western Davenport Water Allocation plan was due to be released for public comment on November 7, but it has been pushed back after key stakeholders said they did not support it. 

The plans cover a total of 180,000 square kilometres, and are meant to balance the needs of industry and the environment to ensure groundwater is used sustainably, but critics say the plans are little more than permission for water mining. 

A group of 18 water experts have written to the Northern Territory Chief Minister to express their concern.

The letter says the plan for the Georgina Wiso Basin breaches water planning guidelines of the National Water Initiative, while also putting significant environmental and Indigenous values at risk. 

Further, the experts say the plan was prepared without input from a water advisory committee. 

The two new allocation plans follow a new format that does not include objectives for cultural values, environmental protections, any directions for how water should be extracted, or risk assessments. 

The NT Government says the final forms of the plans will consider community concerns.