A review into the decision to grant one of the most controversial water licences in Northern Territory history will take place tomorrow.
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But, the public and media are not allowed to attend, and the parties involved can't even stay in the room to hear what each other has to say.
A group made up of Indigenous representative bodies and environmental groups has applied for a review of the decision to grant a water licence to Fortune Agribusiness to use 40 billion litres of water a year for 30 years from Singleton Station, around 400km north of Alice Springs.
The review hearing is set to be held in Darwin on Friday but, unlike previous hearings, it is closed to the public and the media.
The applicants are given 45 minutes to make submissions to the tribunal, but are unable to listen to and respond to submissions from other parties involved.
Co-Director of the Environment Centre NT (ECNT), which is one of the applicants, Kirsty Howey said they were explicitly told that media and the public were not permitted to attend and that they had to leave after making their submission.
"It's quite a different approach [to previous hearings] where everyone was in the room together at the same time. We heard everyone else's comments and there was an opportunity to respond," she said.
Ms Howey also said the ECNT's request to question the Water Controller and others involved in making the decision to award the water licence was denied.
"It raises real questions about whether we're being given a fair hearing," she said.
She said it was important for the public and Traditional Owners to "have confidence in this review process."
"TO's and members of the public can't be there, [although] the public is extremely engaged and interested in it" she said.
"It's the most controversial water licence that's ever been granted in the NT."
The Central Land Council, representing Traditional Owners at the review hearing, said they had also made an application to listen to the submissions of other parties, which was denied.
"This is even though a recent four-hour review hearing about two water licences at Larrimah allowed applicants to be present for the entire hearing. What are they trying to hide about Singleton?" CEO Lesley Turner said.
He said it would also be difficult for the CLC to get through their submission in the time allocated, which includes evidence of sacred sites in the area.
"We provided hundreds of pages of expert evidence about sacred sites threatened by the NT's largest-ever water licence and about very concerning hydrogeological problems, but our lawyer gets less than an hour to present on highly complex issues and answer questions."
Lawyer for the Environmental Defenders Office, which is representing a number of the applicants, Emma Carmody said if the decision to grant the licence is upheld, it will have major cultural and environmental impacts.
"If this decision is not overturned, it will lock in an incredibly unsustainable development in an arid region and compromise the future health of this aquifer and its culturally significant groundwater- dependent ecosystems," she said.
A spokesperson from the office of Environment Minister Eva Lawler said the licence review panel has the authority to run the hearing as they see fit.
"The Review Panel acts in an advisory capacity to the Minister. It is not a tribunal or a judicial body and its meetings are not conducted as such," she said.
"The Territory Government is developing a long-term, comprehensive Strategic Water Plan to ensure the sustainable management of our water resources, and that water is available for drinking, growing and making valuable products.
"This work is underway and the community will be asked to have a say on what is important to them."
Traditional Owners and Environmental Groups have expressed concerns about the legitimacy of a water licence review hearing which has been closed to the media and the public.
