Breaking: High Court rules in favour of native title holders fighting NT water licence

The High Court has decided in favour of native title holders fighting to overturn a water licence that had been granted to a cattle station in Central Australia.The Mpwerempwer Aboriginal Corporation was challenging whether the Northern Territory government had lawfully granted the water licence to Singleton Station, south of Tennant Creek, which would have allowed it take 40,000 megalitres of water a year from an underground aquifer.The station's lessees, Fortune Agribusiness, had been planning to use the 30-year licence to develop part of the cattle station into an intensive horticulture business producing mandarins, table grapes, avocados and other fruits.Today's High Court decision will refer the water licence application back to Territory decision makers, who will also have to consider environmental approvals.