Youth Parliament Petition Calls for Safe Drinking Water in Alpurrurulam

Mar 20, 2026 | Youth and Community

A powerful petition calling for safe drinking water in the remote Barkly community of Alpurrurulam was tabled at the 2025 Northern Territory Youth Parliament, shining a spotlight on a long-running public health issue affecting hundreds of Alyawarra people.

The petition, presented by young community members Malcolm Billy and Tarrant Anderson, called for urgent action to address unsafe drinking water in Alpurrurulam, where fluoride levels in the local supply have exceeded World Health Organisation guidelines for more than 14 years.

Alpurrurulam, located near the Queensland border in the Barkly region, is home to around 400 Alyawarra people.

Before being presented in Youth Parliament, the petition was shared widely within the community. It was signed by Alpurrurulam community Elders, the Tennant Creek Mayor, and presented to the school in Alpurrurulam. Member for Barkly and Northern Territory Health Minister Steve Edgington also sat in on the tabling of the petition.

L-R: Chant’e Parker, Malcolm Billy, Mayor of Tennant Creek (Sid Vashist), Tarrant Anderson
Malcolm and Tarrant presenting their petition at Alpurrurulam School
Gathering petition signatures
Accompanied by school staff member Andrew, Malcolm and Tarrant’s journey to participate in Youth Parliament began on a Thursday, three days before the program started. A 4-hour drive from Alpurrurulam to an overnight stay in Mount Isa, then flying to Townsville, then arriving in Darwin.

Each year, a tradition has grown before the program begins. The day before all the participants come together, program staff take the participants from remote communities on a shopping trip around town.

With limited shops available in many remote communities, it’s an opportunity for the young people to choose something they feel confident for the formal sitting days at Parliament House.

“It’s become a favourite part of the program for me. Watching the young people feel a bit shame and awkward picking out clothes that they usually never wear, seeing them transform because they look the part and walk into the program with pride excited, they get to show a different side to themselves” Tahlia Biggs, Program Coordinator shared.

For many watching the proceedings, particularly those in larger centres such as Darwin, the stories shared by the young men served as a stark reminder of how precious, clean water is, and how different life can be in remote communities, even within Australia.

The petition outlines how fluoride levels in the community’s water supply have consistently exceeded the World Health Organisation guideline of 1.5 milligrams per litre, reaching as high as 1.7 milligrams per litre in recent years.

According to the petitioners, the water is often undrinkable due to high levels of undissolved substances.

“We shower in the water which causes itchiness, dry skin and kidney problems,” the petition states. “People can see white stuff around the taps, and taps outside our classroom have stopped working for over five years.”

Malcolm Billy spoke about growing up in Alpurrurulam and witnessing the ongoing impact of the water crisis.

“I would like to tell a story about life in Alpurrurulam,” he said.

“Alpurrurulam is not a famous place or well-known like Alice Springs, Darwin or Tennant Creek. We are an isolated community and we rarely get visitors.”

Billy said the issue with the water supply began in 2007, meaning most of his life has been shaped by the reality of unsafe drinking water.

For most of my life I have been drinking fluoride-filled water

- Malcolm Billy, 2025 Youth Parliamentarian

He described how families often rely on boxed water deliveries, with only 30 litres of clean water delivered to a household, while many residents turn to sugary drinks because they are cheaper and easier to access.

“Fizzy drinks are cheaper than buying water, therefore we are forced to buy what we can afford,” Billy said.

“In some cases, people buy one litre of Coke every day, which contains 27 teaspoons of sugar. Children are recommended only six teaspoons a day.”

Tarrant Anderson shared similar experiences, describing how a lack of trust in the water supply has changed everyday habits for families in the community.

“One time we were home alone while our family went to Mount Isa for footy,” he said. “My friend wanted to buy five bottles of Coke because they don’t trust drinking tap water.”

Anderson said he has also seen family members choose tea over tap water because they do not believe it is safe to drink.

My vision for Alpurrurulam is for parents to give their kids healthy water and for kids to drink healthy water from the tap

- Tarrant Anderson, 2025 Youth Parliamentarian

The petition called for several practical solutions to address the issue, including completing bore works at Lake Nash Station, reinstating drinking taps at the school, installing rainwater tanks in community homes, and ensuring safe drinking water at the Children’s Sport and Recreation Centre and the community church.

For Billy, the fight for clean water is one that began with community Elders more than a decade ago.

“The fight for clean water was started by our Elders over ten years ago, when we were small,” he said. “It has been a big effort to fight for clean water, but nothing has been done.”

At its heart, the petition carries a simple message shared by the young advocates and their community.

Safe drinking water is a basic human right.

- Malcolm Billy, 2025 Youth Parliamentarian

Malcolm finished his speech sharing the vision he wants for the young people of his community.

“I want these kids to grow up and live the life I have lived, taking every step not with fear, not with shame, but with pride. And to not look for approval from those who don’t want change. And to walk that path and speak their truth and let history decide who was the hoodlum”.