{"id":"F2008B00727","name":"Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 - Proclamation - Kakadu National Park (5/4/1979)","slug":"environment-protection-and-biodiversity-conservation-act-1999-proclamation-kakadu-national-park-5-4-","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":72052,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2008B00727-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Part I","sectionType":"section","heading":null,"content":"#### Part I\n\nAll that piece of land in the Northern Territory of Australia containing an area of 5700 square kilometres more or less bounded by an imaginary line commencing at the intersection of the eastern boundary of Pastoral Lease 739 (Mudginberri) with the left bank of the East Alligator River; thence southerly by the eastern boundary of that pastoral lease and its southerly prolongation to its intersection with the parallel of south latitude 12° 42' 39\"; thence westerly by that parallel to its intersection with the meridian of east longitude 132° 53'; thence northerly by that meridian to its intersection with the southern boundary of Pastoral Lease 739 (Mudginberri); thence westerly by the southern boundary of Pastoral Lease 739 and the southern boundary of Pastoral Lease 737 (Munmarlary) to the southwestern corner of Pastoral Lease 737; thence generally southerly by the right bank of the South Alligator River to its intersection with the westerly prolongation of a surveyed line as shown on Survey Plan A.913 lodged with the Surveyor‑General for the Northern Territory of Australia; thence southwesterly by a straight line from that intersection to the most northern northeastern corner of Pastoral Lease 612 (Goodparla); thence southerly, easterly, again southerly and southeasterly by eastern, northern, eastern and northeastern boundaries of Pastoral Lease 612 to the most northern northwestern corner of Pastoral Lease 668 (Gimbat); thence easterly, southerly and again easterly by northern, eastern and northern boundaries of Pastoral Lease 668 to its intersection with the meridian of east longitude 132° 49'; thence northerly by that meridian to its intersection with the parallel of south latitude 13° 29'; thence easterly by that parallel to its intersection with the meridian of east longitude 132° 55'; thence southerly by that meridian to its intersection with a northern boundary of Pastoral Lease 668 (Gimbat); thence easterly by that northern boundary of Pastoral Lease 668 to its intersection with the meridian of east longitude 132° 58'; thence northeasterly by a straight line to the intersection of the parallel of south latitude 13° 26' with the meridian of east longitude 133°; thence northerly by that meridian to its intersection with the right bank of the East Alligator River; thence generally northwesterly by the right bank of the East Alligator River to a point bearing 45° from true north from the point of commencement; thence southwesterly by a straight line to the point of commencement but excepting from that area the following areas:\n\n(a) all those pieces of land in the Northern Territory of Australia containing a total area of 2.42 hectares more or less, being Northern Territory Portions 1687 and 1688 and being more particularly delineated on Survey Plan S76/88 lodged with the Surveyor‑General for the Northern Territory of Australia;\n\n(c) all that piece of land in the Northern Territory of Australia containing an area of 247.5 hectares more or less, being Northern Territory Portion 838 and being more particularly delineated on Survey Plan A.379 lodged with the Surveyor‑General for the Northern Territory of Australia;\n\n(d) all that piece of land in the Northern Territory of Australia containing an area of 12.14 hectares more or less, being Northern Territory Portion 895 and being more particularly delineated on Survey Plan A.419 lodged with the Surveyor‑General for the Northern Territory of Australia;\n\n(e) all those pieces of land in the Northern Territory of Australia containing a total area of 2.12 hectares more or less, being Northern Territory Portions 1689 and 1690 and being more particularly delineated on Original Plan 1396 lodged with the Surveyor‑General for the Northern Territory of Australia; and\n\n(f) all those pieces of land in the Northern Territory of Australia containing a total area of 80.9 hectares more or less, being Northern Territory Portions 1680, 1681, 1682, 1683 and 1684 and being more particularly delineated on Survey Plan S77/108 lodged with the Surveyor‑General for the Northern Territory of Australia.","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"Part II","sectionType":"section","heading":null,"content":"#### Part II\n\nAll that piece of land in the Northern Territory of Australia containing an area of 460 square kilometres more or less and bounded by an imaginary line commencing at the northwestern corner of Pastoral Lease 739 (Mudginberri); thence southerly by the western boundary of Pastoral Lease 739 to the northeastern corner of Pastoral Lease 737 (Munmarlary); thence northwesterly by a straight line from that corner of Pastoral Lease 737 to the low water mark at the most northern part of Point Farewell; thence easterly by a straight line bearing 90° from true north to the right bank of the East Alligator River; thence generally southeasterly by the right bank of the East Alligator River to a point bearing 45° from true north from the intersection of the northern boundary of Pastoral Lease 739 with the left bank of the East Alligator River; thence southwesterly by a straight line to the intersection of the northern boundary of Pastoral Lease 739 with the left bank of the East Alligator River; thence westerly by the northern boundary of Pastoral Lease 739 to the point of commencement.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"Part III","sectionType":"section","heading":null,"content":"#### Part III\n\nAll that piece of land in the Northern Territory of Australia containing an area of 6,878 square kilometres more or less and bounded by an imaginary line commencing at the intersection of the parallel of south latitude 12 degrees 29 minutes 45 seconds with the western boundary of the area defined in Part I of this Schedule; thence northerly and northeasterly along that boundary to the right bank of the East Alligator River; thence by the right bank of that river to the most eastern southeastern corner of the area defined in Part II of this Schedule; thence southwesterly, westerly, southerly and northwesterly along the boundary of the area as so defined to the low water mark of the sea coast of Van Diemen Gulf; thence generally southwesterly along that low water mark to the left bank of the Wildman River but, where intersected by rivers, streams and estuaries along that low water mark, following a straight line joining the seaward extremity of each of the opposite banks of each of those rivers, streams and estuaries so that the boundary line follows that part below the seaward extremity of each of the straight lines; thence generally southeasterly by the left bank of that river to the eastern boundary of Pastoral Lease 785 (Point Stuart); thence southerly, southwesterly and westerly by eastern, southeastern and southern boundaries of that Pastoral Lease to the southwestern corner of that Pastoral Lease; thence southerly by the eastern boundary of Pastoral Lease 786 (Point Stuart) to the southeastern corner of that Pastoral Lease; thence easterly and southerly by part of the northern boundary and the eastern boundary of Pastoral Lease 766 (Wildman River) to the southeastern corner of that Pastoral Lease; thence easterly and southerly by part of the northern boundary and the eastern boundary of Pastoral Lease 747 (Annaburroo) to the southeastern corner of that Pastoral Lease; thence easterly by part of a northern boundary of pastoral Lease 561 (Mount Bundey) and a northern boundary of Pastoral Lease 612 (Goodparla) to the most westerly northwestern corner of the area defined in Part I of this Schedule; thence northeasterly by the northern boundary of that area as so defined to the right bank of the South Alligator River; thence generally northerly by the right bank of that river to the northern‑most northwestern corner of that area; thence easterly by the northern boundary of that area to its intersection with the meridian of east longitude 132 degrees 53 minutes; thence to the intersection of east longitude 132 degrees 53 minutes with an imaginary line joining the intersection of south latitude 12 degrees 38 minutes with east longitude 132 degrees 53 minutes 30 seconds and south latitude 12 degrees 39 minutes 50 seconds with east longitude 132 degrees 49 minutes; thence to the intersection of south latitude 12 degrees 38 minutes with east longitude 132 degrees 53 minutes 30 seconds; thence to the intersection of south latitude 12 degrees 36 minutes with east longitude 132 degrees 53 minutes 30 seconds; thence to the intersection of south latitude 12 degrees 36 minutes with east longitude 132 degrees 53 minutes; thence to the intersection of south latitude 12 degree 35 minutes with east longitude 132 degrees 53 minutes; thence to the intersection of south latitude 12 degrees 35 minutes with an imaginary line joining the intersection of south latitude 12 degrees 29 minutes with east longitude 132 degrees 51 minutes and south latitude 12 degrees 36 minutes with east longitude 132 degrees 55 minutes; thence northwesterly by a straight line to the intersection of south latitude 12 degrees 30 minutes 10 seconds and east longitude 132 degrees 51 minutes 40 seconds; thence northeasterly by a straight line to the intersection of south latitude 12 degrees 29 minutes and east longitude 132 degrees 52 minutes 22 seconds; thence easterly by that parallel to the intersection of east longitude 132 degrees 55 minutes; thence southerly by that meridian to the intersection of south latitude 12 degrees 29 minutes 45 seconds; thence easterly by a straight line to the point of commencement.","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"Part IV","sectionType":"section","heading":null,"content":"#### Part IV\n\nAll that piece of land in the Northern Territory of Australia containing an area of 44.5 square kilometres more or less, being the whole of Field Island above a line along the low watermark.","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"Part V","sectionType":"section","heading":null,"content":"#### Part V\n\nAll that piece of land in the Northern Territory of Australia containing an area of 4.5 square kilometres more or less, being the whole of Barron Island above a line along the low watermark.","sortOrder":4},{"sectionNumber":"Part VI","sectionType":"section","heading":null,"content":"#### Part VI\n\nAll that piece of land in the Northern Territory of Australia containing an area of 2.4 square kilometres more or less and bounded by an imaginary line commencing at the intersection of east longitude 132 degrees 56 minutes 22 seconds with an imaginary line joining the intersections of south latitude 12 degrees 36 minutes with east longitude 132 degrees 55 minutes and south latitude 12 degrees 33 minutes 20 seconds with east longitude 133 degrees; thence northeasterly along that imaginary line to its intersection with the western boundary of the area defined in Part I of this Schedule; thence southerly along that boundary to its intersection with the parallel of south latitude 12 degrees 42 minutes 39 seconds; thence westerly by the said parallel to its intersection with east longitude 132 degrees 56 minutes 22 seconds; thence northerly by that meridian to the point of commencement.","sortOrder":5},{"sectionNumber":"Part VII","sectionType":"section","heading":null,"content":"#### Part VII\n\nAll that piece of land in the Northern Territory of Australia containing an area of 3699 square kilometres more or less and bounded by lines described as follows: commencing at the most eastern north‑eastern corner of Northern Territory Portion 2854; thence easterly by part of the most southern boundary of Northern Territory Portion 4061 to the most western north‑western corner of Northern Territory Portion 1662; thence southerly, easterly, again southerly and south‑easterly by a western, a southern, a western and the south‑western boundary of the said Portion to the most northern north‑western corner of Northern Territory Portion 4774; thence generally southerly, easterly and southerly by western, a southern and a western boundary of the said Portion to a northern boundary of Northern Territory Portion 4424; thence westerly by part of the said boundary to the right bank of the Mary River; thence generally north‑westerly by the said bank to a southern boundary of Northern Territory Portion 4425; thence easterly and northerly by part of the said boundary and the southern and eastern boundaries of Northern Territory Portion 2854 to the point of commencement.","sortOrder":6},{"sectionNumber":"Part VIII","sectionType":"section","heading":null,"content":"#### Part VIII\n\nAll that piece of land in the Northern Territory of Australia containing an area of 3025 square kilometres more or less, being the whole of Northern Territory Portion 4774 more particularly delineated on survey plan S95/212 lodged with the Surveyor General, Darwin, including there‑in the roads 50 metres wide shown on the aforesaid plan but excluding there‑from that part of Northern Territory Portion 4774 that is included in Part I of this Schedule and being the area bounded by lines described as follows: commencing at the north‑eastern corner of Northern Territory Portion 4774; thence southerly by part of the eastern boundary of the said Portion to the parallel of south latitude 13 degrees 26 minutes; thence south‑westerly to the intersection of the parallel of south latitude 13 degrees 29 minutes 57.8 seconds with the meridian of east longitude 132 degrees 58 minutes; thence west to the meridian of east longitude 132 degrees 55 minutes; thence north to the parallel of south latitude 13 degrees 29 minutes; thence west to the meridian of east longitude 132 degrees 49 minutes; thence south to the parallel of south latitude 13 degrees 29 minutes 57.8 seconds; thence west to the meridian of east longitude 132 degrees 43 minutes 10 seconds; thence north by the said meridian to the northern boundary of Northern Territory Portion 4774; thence easterly by part of the northern boundary of the said Portion to the point of commencement.","sortOrder":7}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This proclamation is a territorial delineation that sets out the boundaries of Kakadu National Park. It confines itself to defining land parcels, islands and coastal limits and the small exceptions thereto. It does not add substantive regulatory powers beyond those in the EPBC Act nor expand the instrument's original function of declaring park boundaries, so it does not materially change the scope of the legislation beyond that original purpose."},"complexity_factors":["Eight discrete Parts (I–VIII) describing multiple, non-contiguous areas","Heavy use of cadastral references (numerous Northern Territory Portion numbers and pastoral lease identifiers)","Multiple explicit exclusions inside Part I (several small Northern Territory Portions excluded by survey plan)","Extensive use of bearings, meridians/parallels, minutes and seconds of latitude/longitude, and named riverbanks and low-water marks","Cross-references to multiple external survey plans lodged with the Surveyor‑General (requires consulting separate documents to map precisely)","Boundary descriptions that follow mutable physical features (river right/left banks, low-water mark) creating interpretive uncertainty","Several straight-line joins and imaginary lines (technical to apply on the ground, requiring surveying interpretation)","Nested directional instructions and conditional language (e.g. where intersected by rivers, follow straight lines joining seaward extremities)"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this instrument does (mechanics)\n\n- This proclamation defines, in precise legal and cadastral language, the territory that makes up Kakadu National Park.  It does so by listing eight parts (Parts I–VIII), each describing a separate area by bearings, coordinates, boundaries of named pastoral leases, riverbanks, low-water marks, survey plan references and specific Northern Territory portion numbers.  Some small parcels are explicitly excluded from Part I and are identified by survey plans.  Several islands and coastal limits are included by reference to the low-water mark.\n\n- By fixing those boundaries in the schedule, the areas described become subject to the Commonwealth regime that applies to declared national parks under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).  Practically, that means activities in these mapped areas will be governed by the EPBC Act and its administrative processes (for example, requirements for environmental assessments and approvals where actions may have a significant impact on protected matters).\n\nWho is affected\n\n- Landholders whose land is inside or adjacent to the described areas: that includes pastoral leaseholders identified by lease numbers in the descriptions and holders of the small Northern Territory portions specifically referenced.  Their legal rights to use land are constrained where Commonwealth park status applies (for example, restrictions on development, resource extraction, or other actions requiring approval).\n\n- Any person or business proposing to carry out works or developments in the described areas — including mining companies, agricultural operators, tourism and infrastructure businesses — because they will generally need to comply with Commonwealth environmental approval requirements under the EPBC Act.\n\n- Government agencies responsible for managing the park and issuing approvals or permits: the Commonwealth (through the Environment Minister and delegated authorities) and relevant Northern Territory authorities will have roles enforcing boundaries and managing park operations.\n\nWhy it matters (purpose claims and practical consequences)\n\n- The text itself functions as the legal map of Kakadu National Park.  The official purpose claimed for such proclamations is to identify the land that is brought under national park protection.  Mechanically, that converts the described parcels from their previous legal status (for example, parts of pastoral leases or freehold portions) into territory governed by the park regime.  That change alters what uses are lawful without further Commonwealth approval.\n\n- Costs and incentives: individuals and firms proposing development inside the proclaimed boundaries will commonly face additional regulatory steps (assessments, permits, possible conditions or refusal).  Those regulatory costs are borne by applicants (developers, resource companies, others).  The Commonwealth (and potentially the Territory) bears management and compliance costs for park administration.  Any compensation or variation to existing land rights would depend on other statutory frameworks or administrative arrangements; this proclamation itself is a boundary description and does not include compensation mechanics.\n\n- Behavioural effects: private actors will alter plans where proposed activities would fall inside the boundaries, seek approvals, modify proposals to avoid impacts, or shift projects outside the park.  Conversely, protected status can create business opportunities (e.g. regulated tourism, cultural services) that rely on park management and access arrangements.\n\nImplementation, legal and practical risks\n\n- The descriptions rely heavily on cadastral references (pastoral leases, Northern Territory portion numbers) and on physical features that can change (river banks, low-water marks).  That creates a practical need for accurate surveying and for clarifying boundary lines where natural features shift or where maps and survey plans conflict.\n\n- Administrative discretion: the EPBC Act confers decision-making powers to Commonwealth agencies and the Minister in administering approvals and exemptions; this proclamation sets the spatial scope on which that discretion will operate.\n\nMarket and property effects (brief)\n\n- Ownership and contract freedom: the proclamation changes the legal regime that governs what activities are permitted on specified land.  That reduces some private-use freedoms within the areas described and may affect the value and contractual uses of land and leases that fall within the park boundary.\n\n- Competition and prices: by restricting certain uses (e.g. mining, major infrastructure) within the park, the proclamation can redirect investment to other areas.  It may raise compliance costs for projects proposed nearby, potentially influencing project viability and therefore prices of affected goods or services, depending on the scale of activity.\n\nWhere the text matters most: consult the specific Parts (I–VIII) and the referenced survey plans to determine exactly which parcels are inside, excluded, or partly included.  For any proposed action, consult an up-to-date cadastral map and the relevant Commonwealth decision-maker under the EPBC Act to determine whether approvals are required."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a foundational proclamation that establishes the original boundaries of Kakadu National Park. It does not represent scope creep beyond the original intent; rather, it is the original legal instrument that created the protected area. The eight separate parts reflect the complex geography of the region (mainland, islands, coastal zones) rather than legislative overreach. The exclusions are typical of national park proclamations, carving out pre-existing rights and infrastructure."},"complexity_factors":["Extensive use of metes and bounds description requiring interpretation of 47+ distinct boundary segments across 8 separate parts","Heavy reliance on external references: 9 different pastoral leases (numbered 561, 612, 668, 737, 739, 747, 766, 785, 786), 7 survey plans (A.379, A.419, A.913, S76/88, S77/108, S95/212, Original Plan 1396), and 6 Northern Territory Portions (1662, 2854, 4061, 4424, 4425, 4774)","Complex conditional boundary rules in Part III regarding low water marks and river intersections ('following a straight line joining the seaward extremity of each of the opposite banks')","Nested exclusions in Part I (six specific sub-areas removed from the main boundary) and Part VIII (internal exclusion referencing Part I)","Mixed coordinate systems: uses degrees/minutes/seconds, degrees/minutes, and decimal seconds (e.g., '13 degrees 29 minutes 57.8 seconds')","Missing subsection (b) in the exception list (jumps from (a) to (c)), suggesting historical amendment or drafting anomaly","Requires specialized knowledge of Northern Territory surveying practices and pastoral lease geography to fully interpret"],"plain_english_summary":"This proclamation legally defines Kakadu National Park’s precise boundaries using survey lines, coordinates and references to existing pastoral leases, and preserves specified exceptions that leave some pre‑existing land uses or ownerships intact.  \n\nIt determines which lands fall under national park protection — affecting Traditional Owners, visitors, operators, researchers, and mining/pastoral interests — and provides the legal certainty needed for park management and application of environmental and Aboriginal land rights."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/environment-protection-and-biodiversity-conservation-act-1999-proclamation-kakadu-national-park-5-4-","history":"/api/acts/environment-protection-and-biodiversity-conservation-act-1999-proclamation-kakadu-national-park-5-4-/history","analysis":"/api/acts/environment-protection-and-biodiversity-conservation-act-1999-proclamation-kakadu-national-park-5-4-/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/environment-protection-and-biodiversity-conservation-act-1999-proclamation-kakadu-national-park-5-4-/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/environment-protection-and-biodiversity-conservation-act-1999-proclamation-kakadu-national-park-5-4-/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/environment-protection-and-biodiversity-conservation-act-1999-proclamation-kakadu-national-park-5-4-/documents"}}