Parks Australia bureaucrats step down following dispute over Kakadu management

THREE Parks Australia bureaucrats have stepped down from their roles following a dispute with traditional owners over the running of Kakadu National Park.

Nourlangie Rock in Kakadu National Park. Picture: Tourism NT/Salty Wings

THREE Parks Australia bureaucrats have stepped down from their roles following a dispute with traditional owners over the running of Kakadu National Park.

Early last month, Kakadu’s board of management, which is made up of 10 Aboriginal traditional owners representing Kakadu clan groups, declared it had no confidence in several members of Parks Australia and demanded they resign.

The Australian recently reported all three of the bureaucrats that traditional owners wanted gone have since left their roles.

The news comes about a week after high-ranking environment department bureaucrat Jody Swirepik was sent to the NT to investigate the roots of the conflict.

Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley has called for an urgent report into the conflict over the park, and has also pledged to come up to the NT from her home base, in the NSW border town of Albury, to meet with stakeholders in person.

LIMITED TIME: New NT News subscription offer: $1 a week for the first 12 weeks

According to leaked internal correspondence, alleged problems with the park’s management include communication breakdowns, dangerous fires and a 2019 helicopter crash in the park.