This work is copyright. Apart for any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Director of National Parks. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to:
Assistant Secretary
Parks Australia North
GPO Box 1260
Darwin NT 0801
This Management Plan aims to provide the general public and park users/visitors with information about how it is proposed the park will be managed for the next seven years. An electronic copy of this Plan is at http://www.deh.gov.au/parks/publications/index.html and additional hard copies are available from the Department of the Environment and Heritage Community Information Unit (phone 1800 803 772).
ISBN:
Note: Throughout this document, the term Bininj is used to refer to traditional owners of Aboriginal land and traditional owners of other land in the Park, and other Aboriginals entitled to enter upon or use or occupy the Park in accordance with Aboriginal tradition governing the rights of that Aboriginal or group of Aboriginals with respect to the Park.
Bininj is a Kunwinjku and Gundjeihmi word, pronounced ‘bin-ing’. This word is similar to the English word ‘man’ and can mean man, male, person or Aboriginal people, depending on the context. The word for woman in these languages is Daluk. Other languages in Kakadu National Park have other words with these meanings, for example the Jawoyn word for man is Mungguy and for woman is Alumka, and the Limilngan word is for man is Murlugan and Ugin-j for woman. The Board of Management has agreed to use the term Bininj for the purposes of this Management Plan.
Cover design: The cover design represents the natural, cultural, visitor experience and joint management values, and future, of Kakadu National Park as well as the importance placed on younger generations having opportunities to appreciate and understand these values. The art work was supplied by students from the Jabiru, Pine Creek, and Kunbarllanja (Oenpelli) Area Schools. The Kakadu National Park Board expresses it’s thanks to the students and schools for providing this artwork.
Kakadu is Aboriginal land. We Aboriginal people have obligations to care for our country, to look after djang, to communicate with our ancestors when on country and to teach all of this to future generations.
Aboriginal people and Park managers are walking together, side by side, to look after Kakadu country, look after culture.
Vision
The vision for Kakadu National Park is that it is one of the great World Heritage areas recognised internationally as a place where:
the cultural and natural heritage of the Park is protected and the living culture of Bininj is respected
Bininj guide and are involved in all aspects of managing the Park
knowledge about country and culture is passed on to younger Bininj
tourism is culturally, environmentally and socially sustainable.
Guiding principles
The guiding principles for the management of Kakadu National Park are that:
culture, country, sacred places and customary law are one, extend beyond the boundaries of Kakadu, and need to be protected and respected
Bininj and Balanda keep joint management strong by working together, sharing decision-making, learning from and respecting each other
young Bininj have opportunities to learn about culture and country
Bininj and Park management share obligations to look after the natural and cultural values of the Park
tourism is developed at a pace and level determined by Bininj, and strong partnerships are maintained with the tourism industry
visitors are provided with opportunities for safe, enriching and memorable experiences.
Foreword
Kakadu National Park is, and always has been, Bininj land. The evidence for this is in the World Heritage rock art and archaeological sites throughout the Park and Bininj people’s traditional connection to land and our culture. The long and continuing history of Bininj custodianship of Kakadu is one of the most important things about the Park, recognised in its World Heritage listing.
Traditional owners and managers of Kakadu have strong responsibilities and obligations to care for country and to guide and look after visitors.
Since the late 1970s, traditional owners have leased back their country to the Director of National Parks as part of Kakadu National Park. Through joint management, they have worked hard with Park staff to balance the protection of their culture and the places that are important to them with the needs of Park visitors and other stakeholders.
The Kakadu National Park Board of Management and the Director of National Parks wrote this management plan. When writing this Plan, the Board and the Director worked together:
to decide on those issues that are important in managing the Park
to provide instructions on how those important issues should be dealt with
to provide ways to make sure that the things they said will be done are done and to measure how well they are done.
The Plan will guide how Kakadu National Park is to be managed over the next seven years.
Kakadu National Park Board of Management
Acknowledgments
The Director of National Parks and the Kakadu National Park Board of Management are grateful to the many individuals and organisations who contributed to this Management Plan. In particular they acknowledge Bininj, Parks Australia staff, the Northern Land Council, and the Northern Territory and Australian Government agencies that provided information and assistance or submitted comments that contributed to the development of this Management Plan.
Members of the Kakadu National Park Board of Management 2000–2006
Jonathon Nadji (outgoing Chairperson 2005)
Jacob Nayinggul (incoming Chairperson 2005)
Jessie Alderson
Roy Anderson
Michael Bangalang
Jane Christophersen
Peter Cochrane
Bessie Coleman
Victor Cooper
Russell Cubillo (outgoing Deputy Chairperson 2005)
Anne-Marie Delahunt
Jeffrey Lee
Yvonne Margurula
Mick Markham
Sandra McGregor
Rick Murray
Marilynne Paspaley
Peter Wellings
Peter Whitehead
Denise Williams
Mr Willika (deceased)
Contents
Vision and Guiding principles
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Members of the Kakadu National Park Board of Management 2000–2005
A description of Kakadu National Park 1
Kakadu – a brief description 1
Bininj cultural rules for the management of Kakadu National Park 1
Establishment of Kakadu National Park 4
Joint management 5
Local, regional, national and international significance 7