[2][3] In September 2020, Fortune Agribusiness applied for a water licence to develop one of Australia's largest fruit and vegetable farms over 3500-hectares of Singleton Station at a cost of $150 million.
[10] These concerns led to a formal review process[11] but the licence was regranted in November 2021 with additional conditions.
[12] Ongoing advocacy has led to the Water Justice Project, a community-led storytelling collaboration between Running Water Community Press, Arlpwe Art and Culture Centre and the Arid Lands Environment Centre (ALEC).
[13][14][15] In February 2022, the Mpwerempwer Aboriginal Corporation and ALEC announced it had served claims against the Northern Territory Government and Fortune Agribusiness on the basis that Environment Minister Eva Lawler made a number of legal errors and had not followed the Water Act in approving the licence.
Fortune Agribusiness must now complete an environmental impact statement before it can progress the development which is expected in late 2025.