National Parks Joint Management Report welcomed

Publish Date:
15th March 2022

The Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation (GAC), representing the Mirarr traditional owners of parts of Kakadu National Park, welcomes the release of the Senior Advisory Group’s (SAG) Report on the Joint Management Arrangements for Commonwealth National Parks.

We value the Minister for the Environment, the Hon Sussan Ley MP’s, willingness to listen and engage with traditional owners. Every review and report that furthers Indigenous interests and engagement is a positive step in the right direction.

We separately welcome the additional $48 million investment to reform employment frameworks and provide added operational funding as part of the Minister’s announcement.

The SAG and the Report have made a serious attempt to examine a complex issue, and we commend the SAG for their efforts. It remains our view that the governance arrangements at Kakadu are neither fit for purpose today, nor culturally appropriate.

Better governance structures, reflecting contemporary cultural heritage management practices of traditional owners across Australia, are essential to the long-term success of Kakadu National Park.

We encourage government to consider further efforts to ensure governance arrangements are modernised and appropriate into the future, and we welcome any further consultation.

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