Prime Minister Scott Morrison onside in our campaign to save Kakadu

THE people of Jabiru and Kakadu may have found a sympathetic ear in Prime Minister Scott Morrison in the fight to save the futures of the town and iconic national park

The people of Kakadu and Jabiru may have found a sympathetic ear in Prime Minister Scott Morrison

THE people of Kakadu and Jabiru have found a sympathetic ear in Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

While not yet committing funds to the proposed masterplan of the traditional owners the Mirarr people, Prime Minister Morrison said he and Territory Senator and Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion had been working together on the future of Kakadu.

“Kakadu has always been one of the big ticket items in Australian tourism,” Mr Morrison said on Monday as the NT News and Mix 104.9 launched a campaign to save the park and town of Jabiru.

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“I used to work in tourism before I went into politics many years ago. I would really like to see Kakadu continue to be realised in terms of its tourism potential for the Territory.

Brendan and Tamara Harris play a game with their children Amarni, 13, and Kodey, 9 at their home in Jabiru. Picture: Keri Megelus

“We’ve been working through a number of issues particularly with the park and some of the issues out in Jabiru as well and Nigel Scullion has had a big role to play in all of that. I get that our natural assets are not only great, wonderful things we have to protect from an environmental perspective, but they’re the livelihood for many Territorians.

“Nigel Scullion and I will continue to work together on how we can best utilise and best manage that asset for both purposes.”

This is music to the ears of husband and wife Brendan and Tamara Harris. The couple have lived in the town for eight years and have picked lifestyle ahead of big-city living and sprawling suburbs. ]

This is their second stint in Jabiru, choosing to return to give their children Amarni, 13, and Kodey, 9, a better lifestyle.

The couple lived and worked in Jabiru in the late 90s where Brendan worked as a tour guide for four years, so he understands the role tourism plays in Kakadu.

“Back in those days it was amazing,” he said.

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“I used to do the gorge and waterfall tours to Twin and Jim Jim Falls. “This is a pretty unique place. We come from South Australia and this is a very nice place to raise a family.

“However this town is not going to survive without tourism, it is as simple as that.

“Tourism has the potential to create jobs and new business opportunity for the indigenous community. “It is the only thing that is going to keep the town alive once the mine goes.

“We want to stay here and raise our children here. We’re here to the end.”

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Brendan and Tamara said the town was excited by the plans for Jabiru. “They’ve done the drawings and shown them to the whole town and everyone is really excited,” Tamara said. “But the question everyone wants answered is will there be the money?

“If the new Prime Minister Scott Morrison hasn’t written us off that’s a good thing.

“They have to spend some money here for the ongoing sake of the Park. So it is a great thing for that.

“There is so much to offer here now, but there will be much more if the Prime Minister puts in money to make the masterplan happen.’’