The Yindjibarndi Nation in the Pilbara region has announced a new partnership with the Western Australian government to protect the Millstream aquifer, a vital and sacred water source that has faced significant depletion. The state government is investing $12.4 million to safeguard cultural sites within the Millstream Chichester National Park, located 1,600 kilometers north of Perth.

This initiative will involve relocating bores that impact important ecological and cultural sites and installing solar-powered battery systems to minimize noise. The Millstream aquifer, situated 120 kilometers from Karratha, supplies water to several communities, including Dampier, Point Samson, Roebourne, Karratha, and Wickham.

The announcement follows an investigation by the state's Environmental Protection Authority into the aquifer's groundwater usage. The Yindjibarndi people regard the Millstream as a sacred site. It is crucial for providing drinking water to Karratha and supporting the region's resource industry. In 2022, the state government reduced the annual water abstraction from the aquifer from 15 billion liters to 6 billion liters, although a temporary contingency of 3 billion liters remains.

Aaron Hubert Snr, a heritage and cultural management officer for the Yindjibarndi Nation, noted that water levels began to decline a decade ago. The traditional owners are advocating for a further reduction in abstraction to 4 billion liters. "If we don't do anything now, if we don't act on it … there's going to be more damage than what we see here now," Hubert said. He emphasized the need for greater involvement in water management.

The Yindjibarndi Nation has expressed concerns about the degradation of the Millstream's flora and fauna due to over-extraction of groundwater, which can lead to increased salinity. Rangers have observed a decline in native species and a rise in semi-arid plants, such as acacias, that thrive in saline conditions. Native trees, including old melaleucas, are dying, and there are worries about the lack of new trees to replace them. "We'd rather see [the water] here for the environment and for the animals," Hubert added.

For Yindjibarndi ranger Tremayne Guiness, the Millstream holds personal significance. He recalls camping at the site with his family as a child, enjoying its beauty. "In the morning, we'd get up at breakfast and come out to all the swimming places — back then it was beautiful, and the water was so blue and green," Guiness said. Now, as a caretaker of the land, he has witnessed a decline in native wildlife and worries about the future for his daughter. He fears she may only learn about her culture through photos and documentaries if the area is not preserved. "It makes me feel sad, you know, because then I can't bring her here. What's the use of bringing her here?" he said.

The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation has reported a decrease in rainfall in the Pilbara. Hydrogeologist Ryan Vogwill explained that the lack of recharge at Millstream has led to saline water being drawn into the bore field, negatively impacting vegetation that previously thrived on fresh water. "Should 15 gigalitres have been approved? In hindsight, obviously not," Dr. Vogwill stated. He suggested that the use of water from this sacred site for public irrigation and mining dust suppression should be reconsidered.

Water Minister Don Punch acknowledged that Millstream is not a sustainable long-term resource and recognized the current water extraction's impact on the land. "Traditionally, we've made decisions into water based on Western science, and that means it's essentially what water is where, and how much can we take," he said.

Michael Woodley, chief executive of the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation, expressed hope for continued collaboration between the Yindjibarndi Nation and the government. "We've been on this path for a long, long time in terms of the concerns and issues that we've raised in relation to the extraction of water at Millstream," Woodley said. He emphasized the importance of finding a shared solution to manage water extraction responsibly.