The Great Artesian Basin covers a fifth of Australia and contains water that has been there for millions of years. Now, decades of extraction are taking their toll and traditional owners are fighting a mining giant for compensation.<\/p>\n
To an outsider, the outback can seem harsh and unforgiving \u2014 but there are secrets to survival in what might seem like a desolate landscape.<\/p>\n
Outback South Australia is where Arabana elders Joe Hull and Betty Larkins were born, and while life eventually took them closer to townships like Port Augusta, they have never stopped returning to Country.<\/p>\n
Arabana elder Joe Hull in remote SA, which relies on the Great Artesian Basin for water.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)
Arabana elder Betty Larkins was born in outback SA.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)
An outback landscape above the Great Artesian Basin.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“When you get here, you know, you shed a little tear about who lived here and what we did,” Joe says.<\/p>\n
“No matter how far you go, you’ll always come back to Country, because it’s like a magnet, you know, it draws you back.”<\/p>\n
“Growing up here was one of the best things,” Betty says.<\/p>\n
Vegetation along an outback spring fed by the Great Artesian Basin for water.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“When I was growing up, we had everything and it was so green.”<\/p>\n
A small waterfall along a spring.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
But over the decades they’ve seen changes in the landscape.<\/p>\n
Joe says the landscape constantly “draws you back”.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“The mound springs \u2014 the water that’s attached to it \u2014 is life,” Joe says.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s like a magnet,”Joe says of the land.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“Spiritual things that are attached to water. It’s gone, and we cry about that. Water means everything.<\/p>\n
Joe says “spiritual things” are associated with water.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“You would have seen how desecrated the trees have become. They’re just all sticks now. One time they were green and lush.”<\/p>\n
Joe and Betty grew up in a landscape which relies on the Great Artesian Basin.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“It’s heartbreaking,” Betty says.<\/p>\n
“It makes you cry. It makes me really hurt \u2014 as if somebody ripped your heart out.”<\/p>\n
The springs are not far from the southern shores of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre \u2013 but unlike the lake, they rely not on floodwaters but freshwater that flows underground.<\/p>\n
They’re called mound springs because centuries of sediment has built up around their edges.<\/p>\n
Each spring has its own unique flora and fauna.<\/p>\n
Reeds around a spring watered by the Great Artesian Basin.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
Peering into their waters can even bring the incongruous sight of fish thriving in the outback.<\/p>\n
Each spring carries a story that connects it to the traditional owners \u2014 the Arabana people.<\/p>\n
But they say the environment \u2014 and their cultural connection to it \u2014 is under threat.<\/p>\n
Fish in a spring in outback South Australia.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)
A muddy spring in outback South Australia.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)
An animal skull near a spring.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
Some of the springs have dried up, and the health of others has deteriorated.<\/p>\n
The Arabana people are now fighting mining giant BHP for compensation over what they say is damage to their cultural heritage and the loss of kuta, the Arabana word for water.<\/p>\n
A map of the Great Artesian Basin showing Finniss Springs.(ABC News: Stephan Hammat)<\/p>\n
The springs on Arabana Country are fed from the Great Artesian Basin \u2014 one of the world’s biggest underground freshwater reserves \u2014 which spans almost 1.7 million square kilometres.<\/p>\n
An overhead view of a spring.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
The basin is ancient \u2014 experts say it dates back to the time of the dinosaurs.<\/p>\n
Springs dot the rugged landscape.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
There are some estimates that some of the water has been there for two million years.<\/p>\n
Life thrives where it can in the basin lands.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
Its natural pressure allows water to flow to the surface through its natural springs, or with the drilling of bores.<\/p>\n
The federal government estimates business activity in the basin \u2014 including agriculture and mining \u2014 contributed $33.2 billion to the economy last year.<\/p>\n
Hydrogeologist Matthew Currell from Griffith University says in the first half of the 20th century, many bores were drilled and left to flow freely.<\/p>\n
Professor Matthew Currell says many bores were left to flow freely.(Four Corners: Maddy King)<\/p>\n
“Certainly, that supported townships and irrigation development and a lot of economic activity over the years, but it also came at a big cost,” he says.<\/p>\n
“It meant that the pressure of the water in the [Great Artesian Basin] reduced quite substantially and quite rapidly and that meant that a lot of these incredible springs actually stopped flowing completely.”<\/p>\n
Professor Currell says efforts to cap bores have seen some improvements in the basin, balancing extraction and replenishment.<\/p>\n
He says there have been signs of recovery in springs in Queensland, but the Arabana people say that’s not what they’re seeing in South Australia.<\/p>\n
BHP and The Bubbler The BHP-owned wellfield on Arabana Country pumps water to the company\u2019s Olympic Dam mine.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
Just a few kilometres away from the springs on Arabana Country is a BHP-owned wellfield \u2014 known as Wellfield A \u2014 that, according to the company, pumps more than four million litres of water per day to its Olympic Dam mine.<\/p>\n
The company takes another 29 million litres per day from another area \u2014 Wellfield B \u2014 further to the west.<\/p>\n
Betty and Joe say the springs near Wellfield A are nothing like they were in their childhoods.<\/p>\n
At one spring \u2014 The Bubbler \u2014 they say their relatives used to play a game to show the strength of the flow.<\/p>\n
Parts of outback SA rely on springs like this one.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“I remember my father telling me stories about how we used to work on the railways and they used to, as a joking thing, bring say five foot of a sleeper and throw it in here and wait for a minute or so,” Joe says.<\/p>\n
Joe remembers the power of the springs.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“The sleeper would be pushed right into the sky.<\/p>\n
“That was the pressure the Artesian Basin was giving out.”<\/p>\n
Now, the flow is much more subdued.<\/p>\n
Another popular location was Venables \u2014 a bore that they say shot water so high into the air that you could shower under it.<\/p>\n
Venables was renowned for its strong flow, but is now dry.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
It is now completely dry.<\/p>\n
The basin provides rich offerings to birdlife including brolgas.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“My father always said to me, you study the birds and what they do, and Aboriginal people have been doing that for years,” Joe says.<\/p>\n
Finches flock to the water and birds splash in the springs.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“If you see budgerigars or the finch, you take notice of where they’re flying because they always take you to water.<\/p>\n
Emus in the outback landscape.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“But unfortunately, they don’t come anymore.”<\/p>\n
The Arabana’s observations are backed up by scientific monitoring of the site.<\/p>\n
Professor Currell says while on a large scale the basin may appear to be getting back in balance, local extraction could still have a significant impact.<\/p>\n
Also working against the Arabana’s land is the distance from the basin’s recharge points \u2014 most of the water that enters it is along its eastern edges in Queensland and New South Wales.<\/p>\n
Most of the water entering in the basin occurs along its eastern edges.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
Experts say water can take more than one million years to travel from there to the South Australian springs where it finally exits the basin.<\/p>\n
The well supplies the Olympic Dam mine.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“There’s plenty of monitoring data that shows that the extraction that BHP have engaged in supporting the Olympic Dam project has caused draw down and significant reductions in the pressure of the GAB aquifer or aquifers near their site,” he says.<\/p>\n
An overhead of the BHP site.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“That has definitely led to reductions in the spring flow rates and certainly at least a couple or more springs that we know which have stopped flowing and gone extinct due to that extraction.”<\/p>\n
Infrastructure at the BHP site.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
The Arabana Aboriginal Corporation says in 2019 BHP committed to forming an agreement with it for compensation for the use of water and damage to cultural sites.<\/p>\n
The site is surrounded by a wire fence.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
But since then, despite negotiations, no agreement has been reached.<\/p>\n
Betty and Joe grew up in a landscape which relies on the Great Artesian Basin.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
In a statement to the ABC, BHP says it acknowledges the cultural significance of the Great Artesian Basin and Mound Springs to the Arabana people \u2014 but the elders say they’re frustrated that the discussions seem to be going nowhere.<\/p>\n
Betty feels frustration at what is happening to the land.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“I just want BHP to come and front us. Come sit around the table and talk to us and tell us what is going on, and we can explain to them how we feel,” Betty says.<\/p>\n
“They could see \u2014 cause when I’m talking you can tell by my voice, I’m sort of breaking down \u2014 so they can see with their own eyes and hear with their ears what they’re doing to us.”<\/p>\n
Joe understands the demands on the land, but wants it protected.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“We know that mining is important, but somehow BHP has to give and take too,” Joe says.<\/p>\n
“BHP should be sitting around the table with us.”<\/p>\n
In its statement, BHP says recent data indicates the pressure around the mound springs has been increasing.<\/p>\n
The company says over the past 15 years it’s reduced its reliance on Wellfield A, and will stop taking from it in the mid 2030s \u2014 when there are plans for a government-built desalination plant to service the region.<\/p>\n
“We regularly engage with Traditional Owner groups and stakeholders on water use, long-term planning, and confidential agreement-making,” the statement says.<\/p>\n
BHP says it acknowledges the cultural significance of the basin.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)
The company says there are plans for a government-built desalination plant to service the region.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)
Despite its arid appearance, the area is rich in birdlife.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)
Tracks dot the outback.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)
Locals say the birdlife is a good indicator of the presence of water.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
The company says it has also helped deliver water savings through the Great Artesian Basin Infrastructure Investment Program, which focuses on reducing waste from uncontrolled bores.<\/p>\n
“We remain committed to constructive and respectful engagement with Traditional Owners as we continue to manage our GAB use responsibly,” it says.<\/p>\n
“Over many years, BHP has listened to community expectations and Traditional Owner feedback and adjusted our operations.”<\/p>\n
‘Don’t treat us like fools’<\/p>\n
Zaaheer McKenzie is an Arabana ranger \u2014 his role is to preserve his Country.<\/p>\n
Zaaheer McKenzie’s role is to preserve his Country.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)
The Arabana ranger says a lot of springs have cultural stories behind them.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
But there are limits to what he can do, with BHP’s extraction out of his control.<\/p>\n
He’s concerned his people’s culture, their history and stories \u2014 or what they call Ularaka \u2014 are being lost.<\/p>\n
Zaaheer says destroying springs “breaks that connection”.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“A lot of our springs have got cultural stories to them,” he says.<\/p>\n
Zaaheer stands on top of a natural well.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“If you take some of those springs away or destroy them, that breaks that connection between Ularakas, our stories.”<\/p>\n
A 2024 federal assessment found a decline in extraction in the basin.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
Zaaheer says he’s not against mining, but says the company needs to be more committed to the negotiations with the Arabana people.<\/p>\n
Zaaheer splashes his face on the edge of the water.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“They’re not really taking us seriously. I don’t think they are,” he says.<\/p>\n
The ranger says the company is “not really taking us seriously”.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“Don’t come with us and treat us like fools and that, because we’re not.<\/p>\n
Zaaheer is not against mining, but wants the negotiations to succeed.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“And also remember that we’re the ones that are going to be left here when things go away. We’re the ones going to be left with the springs disappearing, with the Country being stuffed.”<\/p>\n
In 2024, the federal government commissioned an assessment of the health of the basin, which found there had been a decline in extraction, and improvements in springs.<\/p>\n
But it found it still faced threats from things such as inadequate maintenance of infrastructure, and more extraction under a warmer, drier climate.<\/p>\n
Returning to Country<\/p>\n
When the Arabana spend time on Country, they often return to Finniss Springs.<\/p>\n
It was once a cattle station and Aboriginal mission, and it’s where Betty and Joe were born.<\/p>\n
For the elders, returning to Country is healing.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)
A corrugated water tank in outback SA.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)
The moon rising above a line of hills.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
They want an agreement with BHP that helps restore the springs, but suggest any compensation could be spent on improving the infrastructure at Finniss, to make it easier for community members to return there.<\/p>\n
For the elders, returning to Country is healing \u2014 it lifts their spirits and connects them to their ancestors.<\/p>\n
Joe enjoying the company around an open fire at Finniss Springs.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“Arabana Country is a place that is, you know, nowhere else that I’d really like to live,” Joe says.<\/p>\n
“If the infrastructure was set up for us to do that, you know, to have housing here and the appropriate water.<\/p>\n
Joe says coming home to Country lifts his spirits.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“It’s something that’s embedded in your heart. This is where I was born.<\/p>\n
“Coming home to Country, it lifts your spirit.”<\/p>\n
Betty says she wants to secure the land and its water for future generations.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
Future generations are at the heart of their bid for preservation.<\/p>\n
“I’m going on 82 and what my kids, what they got?” Betty says.<\/p>\n
The moon rising behind an outback silhouette.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
“I just want to leave something for them. I just want to leave them something when I go.”<\/p>\n
Credits:<\/p>\n
Author and reporting: Leah MacLennan<\/a>
Photography: Lincoln Rothall<\/a>
Digital production: Daniel Keane<\/a>
Video: Daniel Taylor
Graphics: Stephan Hammat
Video production: Sebastian Dixon<\/a>
Editing: Jessica Haynes<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Great Artesian Basin covers a fifth of Australia and contains water that has been there for millions…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":302409,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[172699,172698,11960,172703,6266,54886,172700,67835,43,172702,6827,44,24806,172701,2176,41,39,42,40,11814,170730],"class_list":["post-302408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-arabana","tag-artesian","tag-basin","tag-betty-larkins","tag-bhp","tag-broken-hill","tag-finniss","tag-great","tag-headlines","tag-joe-hull","tag-mining","tag-news","tag-olympic-dam","tag-springs","tag-supply","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories","tag-water","tag-wells"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/302408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=302408"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/302408\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/302409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=302408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=302408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=302408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}