Territory water plan

The Territory water plan is the Northern Territory’s (NT) first whole‑of‑government strategic plan for water.

The plan aims to deliver water security for all Territorians, now and into the future

With aspirations for a growing population and an economy of $40 billion by 2030, and the challenge of climate change, we need a plan for water security that fits the Territory context.

Priority areas and actions in the plan aim to balance the needs for safe and reliable water for drinking and economic development with maintaining healthy country and ecosystems, and improving the liveability of the Territory.

Priority actions in the plan will:

• prioritise safe drinking water for all Territorians
• support sustainable development for the Territory
• drive efficiency and productivity in water use
• deliver good governance, transparency and accountability in water management
• protect environmental and cultural values
• support the Territory’s resilience to climate change and its impacts on water security
• secure the Darwin region's future water supply.

Read the Territory water plan PDF (3.4 MB).

Watch a video about the plan.

Read the Territory water plan video transcript.

The Office of Water Security worked with all levels of government and community, stakeholder organisations and business groups to shape a plan to deliver the right balance of actions to set the foundations to deliver better water security over 3 years (starting in 2023) and into the future.

A summary of feedback received on the draft plan and earlier directions paper is available on the Have Your Say website.

Progress on priority actions in the plan is tracked through the release of annual reports.

Read the Territory water plan annual progress report 2024 PDF (1.5 MB).

Some highlights outlined in the 2024 report include:

• Drafting started on a new Safe Drinking Water Bill.
• Securing investment from the National Water Grid Authority to upgrade and replace water infrastructure in remote communities and science projects to improve water resource modelling.
• Major project milestones met for the Darwin region water supply program including gaining regulatory approvals to commence works to return Manton Dam to service and planning for the Adelaide River Off-Stream Water Storage (AROWS).
• Water savings made through Power and Water initiatives like the Schools Water Efficiency Program.

Read more about reporting on the plan’s monitoring and evaluation framework PDF (1.1 MB).

The Office of Water Security was created to develop the plan, lead its implementation and coordinate key water reforms across government to deliver a secure water future for the Territory.

The Office of Water Security is part of the Department of Lands, Planning and Environment and reports to the Minister for Water Resources.

To get in contact with us, email watersecurity.ntg@nt.gov.au

For more information about the Territory’s water resources, including water management laws, policies, permits and licenses, go to the Northern Territory Government website.

For more information about water supply across the Territory, go to the Power and Water website.