In the wake of a landmark Northern Territory Supreme Court ruling, calls for safe drinking water are intensifying in remote Aboriginal communities after high fluoride levels were found to impair cognitive development in children.
A low dose of fluoride in drinking water has therapeutic purposes and reduces the likelihood of certain conditions, many of which require treatment with antibiotics, but the Central Australian communities of Nyirripi and Alpurrurulam (Lake Nash) have reported fluoride levels in their water that exceed the World Health Organisation’s safe limit, prompting concerns over children’s health and demands for swift governmental action.
Nyirripi community leader Michaeline Gallagher expressed frustration about the lack of warning regarding fluoride risks.
“I got worried for the kids especially because at school they drink out of the tap,” Ms Gallagher told the ABC.
“That was the first time I heard it, and we got a bit shocked.”
The NT Supreme Court’s 2023 decision has been transformative for Indigenous rights to safe housing, legally mandating the NT government to provide potable water to its tenants.
Originally centred on uranium contamination in Laramba’s water supply, the ruling set a precedent that empowers all tenants, particularly in remote Indigenous communities, to demand access to safe, health-compliant drinking water.
The ruling, in effect, holds the government accountable for ensuring public housing conditions are habitable—a mandate that explicitly includes access to safe drinking water.
For years, Indigenous communities have voiced concerns over water quality, yet, as solicitor of Australian Lawyers for Remote Aboriginal Rights, Daniel Kelly, told the ABC: “No government department took responsibility or accepted liability for the water they were delivering to remote Aboriginal communities.”
The court’s decision brought long-overdue attention to the NT’s water crisis and legally obligates the government to uphold public health standards.
Following the ruling, Power and Water Corporation (PWC), the NT’s government-owned utility, began providing bottled water to children and pregnant women in Nyirripi and Alpurrurulam, where natural fluoride levels reach 1.7 mg/L, surpassing WHO’s recommended limit of 1.5 mg/L.
New research from the US Department of Health and Human Services links fluoride levels above this threshold to potential developmental issues in children, raising urgent health concerns in these communities.
The Laramba community, the original plaintiff in this landmark case, recently celebrated the court’s decision alongside the installation of a water treatment plant following years of advocacy.
A spokesperson for Laramba, Adrian Dixon, reflected on the significance of the ruling, encouraging other communities.
“Keep fighting, the fight you truly believe in,” he said.
Laramba’s long journey highlights the challenges that other communities may face in securing safe water but also signals a path forward for those willing to advocate.
Under the strengthened legal framework established by the NT Supreme Court, residents in communities facing unsafe water can now insist that the government meet minimum health standards for all tenants.
Despite the bottled water allocations, which now include delivery directly to affected homes, advocates argue these temporary measures are insufficient.
PWC has committed to investigating new water sources and possible treatment options, acknowledging the need for enduring solutions in communities where safe, reliable drinking water has historically been lacking.
With an estimated 200,000 Australians lacking reliable access to safe drinking water, the NT case has underscored the crucial role of legal action in defending public health rights, especially for remote Indigenous communities across the Territory.
Original article online at: https://nit.com.au/12-11-2024/14821/nt-supreme-court-ruling-drives-demand-for-safe-water-in-remote-indigenous-communities