Developers meet with Traditional Owners ahead of Watarrka National Park walking track

A $5.6m investment to open up one of the most scenic stretches of a Central Australian national park has taken another huge step forward.

A Project Facilitation Agreement has been signed for The Watarrka Track, located 330kmsouth west of Alice Springs.

A proposed $5.6m outback hiking experience through the beauty of the Red Centre has taken another step towards reality.

A Project Facilitation Agreement has been signed for the Watarrka Track, located 330 kilometres south west of Alice Springs in Watarrka National Park.

In June 2022, the Australian Walking Company was granted the NT Government tender to design, develop and operate the walking track through the National Park, which already attracts more than 250,000 visitors each year to Kings Canyon.

After eight months of negotiation the Queensland-based company, Central Land Council and Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife have signed the Project Facilitation Agreement, following on-ground meetings with the Watarrka Traditional Owners.

A Project Facilitation Agreement has been signed for The Watarrka Track, located 330kmsouth west of Alice Springs.

The agreement will ensure all parties work together to facilitate the development and delivery of the track, and to maximise the economic benefit for the Territory economy.

The agreement said it would provide economic and social benefits for the local Traditional Owners of Watarrka.

Australian Walking Company said it would work in partnership to achieve the best outcomes for all, including negotiating an appropriate track alignment that takes into consideration the cultural and natural values of the landscape.

A Project Facilitation Agreement has been signed for The Watarrka Track, located 330km south west of Alice Springs.

Parks and Rangers Minister Nicole Manison said the national park walk was expected to start construction later this year and would become “yet another wonderful tourism experience on offer in Central Australia”.

“Watarrka is a culturally significant place, with unique heritage, and we know tourists are seeking authentic cultural experiences while in the Northern Territory,” Ms Manison said.

The Northern Territory Government spent $5.6 million in co-funding for the project.