Indigenous people and farmers alike in the New South Wales town of Walgett have expressed fears that only six months remain until they run out of water.
Elders who have lived within the area their whole life have reportedly never seen the river this depleted and doubt it can be recovered. The NSW Health has issued an alert for the use of bore water, describing a possible risk of amoebic meningitis.
The Walgett shire, has experienced a prolonged drought, with the heritage-protected Narran Lakes and wetlands empty, removing the breeding grounds of native birds and fish.