ATNS - Agreements, Treaties and Negotiated Settlements project

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Kakadu National Park, The Northern Territory of Australia, Memorandum of Lease (3 November 1978)
Date:	3 November 1978
Sub Category:	Memorandum of Lease
Place:	Western Arnhem Land
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State/Country:	Northern Territory, Australia
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	All that piece or parcel of land in the Northern Territory of Australia ("the Leased Area") being part of NT Portion 1662 / 2374, 2375 & 2376 / 4774 more particularly shown on plan CP 19 / S84/198, S84/199 & S84/203 / S95/212, which has been deposited at the Land Titles Office, Darwin, Northern Territory.
Legal Status:	Registered at the Land Titles Office, Darwin, Nort
Legal Reference:	Grant Registered Volume 19 Folio 165 / Volume 167
Alternative Names:	Kakadu National Park Lease
Payments:
Subject Matter:	Cultural Heritage \| Environmental Heritage \| Employment and Training \| Land Management
Summary Information:
The Kakadu National Park Memorandum of Lease Agreement was made between the Commonwealth Government of Australia and Traditional Aboriginal Owners of Land Trusts within Kakadu National Park. The Lease Agreement is, effectively, made up of three separate lease agreements with the Jabiluka, Gunlom and Kakadu Land Trusts. These leases lay down the principles and conditions under which the park will be managed. The agreement provides for protecting the rights of traditional owners, employing traditional owners and training Aboriginal people in managing the park. It also provides for lease payments and a share in revenue generated by the park and termination of the lease if issues of detriment to Aboriginal traditional owners cannot be resolved.
Outcomes:
A jointly managed national park which covers an area of 19 804 sq kms. Approximately 50% of the land in the park is Aboriginal land under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976, and most of the remaining area of land is under claim by Aboriginal people. Traditional owners have expected that having their land managed as a national park would assist them in looking after their land in the face of growing and competing pressures. Parks Australia and the Aboriginal traditional owners of Kakadu are committed to the principle of joint management of the park and arrangements to help this happen are highlighted throughout the Kakadu National Park Plan of Management.