In an interview on the NT Country Hour, Water Controller Andrew Johnson outlined how the Northern Territory’s water licensing boom is slowing. Since 2023, more than 100 licences have been issued, but allocations are also being taken back under the use‑it‑or‑lose‑it policy. Johnson addressed topics including water recovery, trading, Aboriginal Water Reserves, rural Darwin usage, and the growing demand from data centres. He emphasized that irrigators have received full entitlements after a big wet season, but warned that the initial rush for licences is tapering off.