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Kakadu National Park Plan of Management
Category:	Event
Date:	1 January 1980
Sub Category:	Plan of Management
Place:
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State/Country:	Northern Territory, Australia
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Subject Matter:	Land Management \| Environmental Heritage
URL:	http://www.deh.gov.au/parks/publications/pubs/kakplan4.pdf
Summary Information:
At least half of the land of Kakadu National Park is owned by Aboriginal people under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976. The Aboriginal owners have leased the land back to the Director of National Parks for the benefit of all Australians. The Park is now jointly run by the Aboriginal owners and the Director of National Parks. The National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975 (and its successor, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act)) require that the Park has a Plan of Management (the Plan). The present Plan runs from 1999-2004. The Plan is made between the Board of Management of Kakadu National Park and the Director of National Parks and Wildlife. The Plan states that the vision for Kakadu National Park is that 'it is a place where the Aboriginal traditional owners and Parks Australia manage the land together to the highest possible standard, to: Respect the interests of Aboriginal traditional owners; conserve the natural and cultural heritage of the park, which is of regional, national and international significance; and encourage visitors to appreciate, enjoy and understand the park.' (Kakadu National Park Plan of Management online at http://www.deh.gov.au/parks/publications/pubs/kakplan4.pdf). The first part of the Plan gives a description of Kakadu National Park, its history and its significance to different peoples. The second part sets out the actual Plan of Management in respect of the Park which includes provisions in relation to decision making; Aboriginal interests; caring for natural and cultural heritage; tourism; promotion and administration of the Park.
Detailed Information:
Two important features of the EPBC Act in relation to the Plan are that in the case of Kakadu: it provides for formal opportunities for the Chairperson of the Northern Land Council to comment on the Plan and, where he/she disagrees with the Board/Director on the contents of the Plan, a process of arbitration to resolve this dispute; and it provides that regard shall be had, in preparing the Plan, to the interests of the traditional Aboriginal owners and of other Aboriginal people interested in land within the Park. The Act also provides for arbitration and ministerial direction where the Director and the Board are unable to agree on the contents of the Plan of Management.