Cunningham: Kakadu versus Litchfield argument soon to be made much easier

The Kakadu versus Litchfield debate is another argument against the calls for Federal Government intervention in the NT, writes Matt Cunningham.

Tourism Top End general manager Samantha Bennett, Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro and 4WD NT president Mickey Barratt. The NT government has expanded Litchfield National Park by 20 per cent through its purchase of Silkwood property. Picture: Fia Walsh.

Litchfield or Kakadu?

It’s the question Territorians are often asked by visitors soon to arrive in the Top End wondering where best to get their outdoor adventure fix.

The question is usually followed by a bit of umming and ahhing, as the pros and cons of each location are discussed at length.

But the events of the past week have put this answer beyond doubt.

The NT Government’s purchase of the 30,000-hectare Silkwood property, which will be incorporated into Litchfield Park, will make this natural wonderland the undeniable jewel in the crown of Top End tourism.

The purchase will open up Litchfield for more swimming, four-wheel driving, hunting and camping, and provides the opportunity for further development.

It will also be a boon for Adelaide River and could open the door for the establishment of higher-end accommodation in or near Litchfield Park.

It’s instructive the NT Government’s announcement came in the same week Gunlom Falls at Kakadu was finally reopened to visitors.

Gunlom Falls in Kakadu National Park is set to reopen on July 4, 2025. Picture: Supplied/KNP.

Gunlom is arguably the best spot at Kakadu.

It has a beautiful, shaded campground and some of the most spectacular rockpools in the country.

The sight from the natural infinity pool at the top of Gunlom is one of the Territory’s most iconic images and has been used for decades to promote our tourism industry.

Sadly though, Gunlom Falls has been off-limits to tourists for six years.

It’s been closed to the public after Parks Australia damaged a sacred site during the construction of a walking track, sparking a protracted legal battle that made it all the way to the High Court.

Parks Australia was eventually fined $200k over the damage and paid $500k in compensation to traditional owners via the Northern Land Council for lost earnings.

The loss suffered by private tour operators is unknown but no doubt significant.

It’s not the first time they’ve been stifled by the suffocating bureaucracy of Kakadu.

In early 2020 they were forced to write to then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison, begging him to personally intervene and end the uncertainty around tourist attractions within Kakadu.

Eight weeks out from the opening of the tourism season, they still had no idea which attractions within the park would be open.

The uncertainty meant they were unable to offer packages to international visitors. “International travel agents have now all but withdrawn Kakadu National Park from holiday brochures as they cannot be sure if the renowned iconic experiences will be open,” the letter to Mr Morrison said.

Florence falls is a popular attraction in Litchfield National Park - a park renowned for its accessibility and pristine natural beauty.

“They are turning to alternative destinations because Kakadu is so unreliable and uncertain.” In the end the Covid-19 pandemic made these discussions redundant, but they highlight the barriers our tour operators have faced at Kakadu.

Visitor numbers at the park lifted post-Covid, but they fell 2.5 per cent between 2023 and 2024.

Last year 186,737 people visited Kakadu, well down from the about 250,000 annual visitors the park received in the late 1980s as it rode the wave of Crocodile Dundee, a film that sold the Northern Territory as a place where pretty much anything goes.

How times have changed.

The Kakadu versus Litchfield debate is another argument against the calls for Federal Government intervention in the NT.

As the Kakadu experience shows, nothing stifles progress quite like a Federal Government department.

While the attractions at Kakadu have been contracting, those at Litchfield Park have been expanding.

Under the former NT Labor Government, 32 new campsites were opened across three campgrounds in the Central Valley area, and 12 new campsites were opened at Surprise Creek Falls.

The CLP Government’s purchase of Silkwood will increase the size of Litchfield Park by 20 per cent and present huge development opportunities free of the red tape that strangles Kakadu.

The next time a visitor asks us that perennial question, the answer should be easy.

Originally published as Cunningham: Kakadu versus Litchfield argument soon to be made much easier