Kakadu National Park Cahills Crossing to get major upgrade as part of $216 million program
A viewing platform at Kakadu overlooking notoriously croc-infested waters is set to receive a substantial upgrade as part of a $216 million federal government funding package.
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A VIEWING platform at Kakadu National Park overlooking notoriously croc-infested waters is set to receive a substantial upgrade as part of a $216 million federal government funding package.
Parks Australia has put out a tender calling for proponents to draw up final designs and later construct an upgrade of the Cahills Crossing viewing area and walking tracks.
Tender documents, seen by the NT News, have initial cost estimates for construction of the platform at $1.4 million.
Cahills Crossing is on the northeastern boundary of Kakadu National Park that crosses over East Alligator River linking the park with Arnhem Land.
“The upgrade works to the viewing platform adjacent to Cahills Crossing is to enable the large numbers of visitors to view crocodiles in their natural habitat from the safety of a larger viewing platform, noting that current viewing platform is of insufficient size to cater for the number of visitors, which results in large numbers of visitors viewing the crocodile activity from the road,” the document states.
An industry briefing, compulsory for all tenderers, will be held next Thursday.
Concept plans for the upgraded crossing show the aim is to have two new viewing decks, including a large deck raised above natural ground and a second smaller deck on the downstream side of the crossing for “overflow” viewing in peak times.
A new 200m forest walk trail would also be built on the downstream side, along with a safer path of travel from the existing car park and replacing all existing information and directional signs.
The Cahills Crossing upgrade is part of the federal government’s $216 million funding commitment to “revitalise Jabiru and Kakadu” with an extensive list of infrastructure and road upgrades.
The federal government wants the project to be completed by December 2020.
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