The Northern Land Council has called on the Northern Territory and Commonwealth governments to urgently address what it says are persistent failures in essential services affecting remote communities and homelands across the region.

The NLC's Water Committee and Housing and Homelands Committee recently met to discuss access to essential services, including water, power and waste management.

"Housing and homelands on our country is our right as Traditional Owners," Committee Chair Wayne Wauchope said. "And essential services is the lifeblood that makes this possible."

The council claims communities including Bulla, Nauiyu and Wugularr are experiencing ongoing issues with drinking water, while ageing infrastructure and power disconnections are creating further challenges for remote communities.

Essential services in remote communities, the land council adds, have been neglected by multiple governments in the NT.

NLC Chair Matthew Ryan said he regularly heard from Traditional Owners about issues impacting safe drinking water and the difficulties they face having them addressed.

"People living in town do not face these issues," Mr Ryan said. "If the water wasn't safe to drink in Karama, they would fix it quickly, not deliver bottled water to residents. If there are issues with power in towns, it's fixed in hours.

"We need both Governments to come together and work with us to improve essential services across all communities and homelands."

The NLC said the Bulla community was being given bottled water due to health risks associated with the local supply. After the floods earlier this year, a similar precaution was taken in Nauiyu, with no solution for the residents over what the land council said was a health exceedance for manganese in the community's water supply.

In Wugularr, testing had identified an exceedance of antimony — a naturally occurring metalloid element — but bottled water was not being provided for residents, they added.

The NLC said Traditional Owners had repeatedly called for government action, and called on the NT Government to urgently address drinking water issues in the communities.

NT Minister for Essential Services Steve Edgington took a swipe at the former Labor government, telling National Indigenous Times the CLP government has taken "decisive action to supply bottled drinking water to the Bulla community, as per the advice from NT Health".

"In Wugularr, installation of essential equipment to connect a new water source is underway," he said, whilst the boil water alert in Naiuy was lifted by NT Health at the start of this month.

"The Government remains committed to working to provide every Territorian, regardless of where they live, with a reliable supply of safe drinking water."

The NLC also called on the federal government to guarantee the First Nations funding stream in the National Water Grid and for both governments to commit to progressing work towards Closing the Gap Target 9 — Indigenous people's access to essential services.

NLC Water Committee Chair, Timothy Baker, said access to clean and safe drinking water for everyone is a human right.

"It is hard for us to understand how Government makes decisions around addressing water issues in our communities," he said.

"We need better communication and for issues to be solved quicker."

A Federal Government spokesperson told National Indigenous Times the Commonwealth works in partnership with states and territories, along with Indigenous organisations, communities, and other stakeholders, to "support improved water security outcomes and help ensure Australians have access to safe and reliable drinking water, no matter where they live".

They said the government has invested $193 million "to support 43 First Nations water infrastructure projects across 6 states and territories" as part of the National Water Grid Fund, "helping more than 110 communities".

"This exceeds the Government's original $150 million commitment announced in 2023, demonstrating its strong commitment to improving water security outcomes for First Nations communities,' the spokesperson said.

Mr Edgington said the government had submitted National Water Grid Fund proposals to the Commonwealth, but they were identified as a "cost-saving measure" in the last budget.

"I strongly urge the Northern Land Council to join with us to push the Commonwealth Government to reinstate and expand funding for remote water infrastructure," he said. "The Northern Territory Government will continue advocating for the investment our communities need and deserve."