Arid Lands Environment Centre

$10,000 | August 2023

What do Arid Lands Environment Centre do?

Arid Lands Environment Centre (ALEC) is Central Australia's peak environmental organisation; defending Australia's iconic desert country for over 40 years.

Why is this work important?

With an NT election in 2024 and an horrifically hot summer almost certainly ahead of us, ALEC we will use social organising principles to translate deep public concerns and the reality of climate change into ballot box pressure for decisions in the public interest, including future generations and non-humans.

Specifically we will continue to engage with and amplify the voices of the region’s traditional owners; and support and resource community individuals and groups who are alive to the threats to Australia’s arid lands.

The focuses for community organising will be protecting precious arid zone water places, stopping buffel grass invasion and making the case for improved policy and legislation settings for a low carbon, and just future.

How is Groundswell supporting this work?

With Groundswell’s support, ALEC’s key activities in the year ahead include:

1. Contributing to campaign to stop fracking reaching production in the Beetaloo Basin, thereby avoiding a potential 22% increase in Australia’s carbon emissions. Goals this year: to support Central Australian Frack Free Alliance's court case challenging Tamboran Resources' approval to drill 12 fracking wells, support the Traditional Owners fighting fracking in the Barkly and making fracking an election issue in Central Australia.

2. Pursuing water justice, focusing on the controversial Singleton groundwater licence. Goals this year: for Traditional Owners' opposition to the Singleton licence to be acknowledged, the Singleton Licence Supreme Court challenge to be successful, and all water allocation plans properly protect water dependent ecosystems and cultural values.

3. Protecting biodiversity across arid lands (strategically focusing on managing buffel grass and protecting dingoes as a keystone species). Goal this year: to support community led Buffel Grass Action seeking to care for and restore arid lands and build political pressure for concerted effective action on buffel grass, both in the NT and federally.

4. Fostering sustainable towns and communities including two community gardens and participating in community events in Mparntwe Alice Springs. Goal this year: support an engaged well informed community committed to sustainable, low carbon futures for arid lands.

5. Contributing to legislation reforms and proactively driving the NT policy direction. Goal this year disrupt the NT agenda which is prioritising short-term profits over evidence based decisions to properly focus on the public interest, equity and the long-term.