Jackie Mahoney and Pam Corbett's retelling of their long battle for clean drinking water brought the devastating reality for many remote Indigenous communities to the spotlight at Parliament House on Monday.
For years the pair have open their own wallets for what is a given to most but seemingly out of reach in their home of Alpurrurulam on the Queensland-Northern Territory border.
Speaking at the Water Services Association of Australia's Closing the Water for People and Communities Gap report launch their struggle gave voice to a troubling truth.
Federal Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney went one step further.
Minister Burney speaking at WSAA's report launch at Parliament House November 7, 2022. image provided: Water Services Association of Australia
"Most of you in this room get up in the morning put on the jug and make a cup of tea or coffee," she said.
"Most of us when we go to bed in the evening get a glass of water and sit it beside our bed and don't think twice about it.
"In many parts of remote Australia those things are just not possible.
"I've been to remote communities where it is cheaper to buy a bottle of coke than a bottle of water. It is not right."
Ms Burney made reference to barriers this places on dialysis treatment across Indigenous communities.
Both delegates of the Territory's Central Land Council, Mr Mahoney and Ms Corbett spoke alongside council staff to paint a dire picture of water injustice.
The ongoing impact of colonisation, displacement and dispossession continues in many senses in Alpurrurulam.
In the 1970's an ultimately unsuccessful lease proposal to an American pastoral company failed to push the local Alyawarre people off country.
It did however succeed in severing their access and cultural connection to the Georgina River.
As the threat of displacement went away so did a crucial resource.
Clean water continues to be used for cattle production locals now rely on bore water.
It causing itchiness, stomach sickness and potential for a variety of health impacts due to heavy treatment, unsuitable for showering let alone drinking.
Excess fluoride is a major concern.
"The bore water tastes funny," Ms Corbett said.
"It's hard to shower with."
According to Mr Mahoney Government staff and health services bring their own water when visiting.
The CLC and local community have continuously fought for adequate infrastructure and funding with limited success.
In the past decade residents have poured almost $150,000 of their own money into desperate efforts to bring clean water to the area.
"It's Aboriginal money for essential services that we all take for granted," CLC senior policy officer Georgia Stewart said.
A successful bid from the land council to the Government's Aboriginal Benefits Account in 2020 brought $4 million in funding toward new borefield within existing pastoral leases.
Despite being significant step forward it fell short of the money ultimately required.
It follows 10 years of cooperation with native title holders and pastoralists among a number of unsuccessful funding applications from the CLC and community funded Power and Water Corporation to Northern Territory government departments.
CLC, Power and Water Corporation and the National Indigenous Australians Agency are in negotiations to overcome the remaining amount needed for the borefield.
As of October 2022 Power and Water are seeking to obtain $1 million from the NT Government's Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics and approval from NT Housing.
(left to right) Jackie Mahoney and Pam Corbett alongside CLC's Georgia Stewart and water justice PhD candidate Evie Rose at WSAA's report launch at Parliament House November 7, 2022. image provided: Water Services Association of Australia
The WSAA report included the current state of Alpurrurulam as a case study.
Wider investigation consulted over 170 stakeholders over 18 months.
It found a minimum of $2.2 billion is needed to address water injustice in Indigenous communities across the country and "more when you include replacing old pipes and plumbing," according to WSAA executive director Adam Lovell.
Formalisation of drinking water guidelines across all states and territories, increased water quality monitoring, technology investment to combat climate change threats and stronger First Nations decision making in services received were recommended from the report.
"All levels of government, service providers, industry and researchers have role to play in tackling the innate complexities of this field, and congratulations (for WSAA) for being part of that collaboration," Minster Burney said.
"This is an issue that should not exist in a first world nation like Australia, and it's within our capacity to fix it."
