We are all used to the ABC beating up climate, environmental and indigenous issues. Here we have a resources company as the classic bad guys who are applying to use 3,300ML (3.3GL) of Roper River water per year to process heavy minerals. The ABC headline “Roper River will ‘disappear’, traditional owners say, as government considers massive water allocation” – academic experts are quoted. Words such as ‘disappear’ and ‘massive water allocation’ would have many ABC readers enraged that such perfidy and disregard for the environment indigenous people could happen. However a quick check of Wikipedia reveals the Roper mean annual outflow to be 5,000GL – so the mine wants 0.06%!!! The quota would be lost in the noise of the maths uncertainties. I am sure the Gov could devise a scheme for the miner to dam some water in the wet – would never be noticed – then provide export income, wages, royalties, taxes, fund universities, indigenous employment, improved outcomes all around.