Territory Labor requests for update on federal government Kakadu funds ‘being met with silence’

Despite promising $216m would be spent on new infrastructure at Kakadu, NT Labor claim the federal government have spent barely any and are demanding to know why.

NT Attorney-General Selena Uibo and federal Labor have blasted yet another Commonwealth Budget without any funds for Kakadu National Park.

But CLP Senator Sam McMahon has batted away the attacks, claiming the funds have already been set aside in last year’s budget.

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The federal government pledged in 2019 to spend $219m on Kakadu but funding for important projects such as road upgrades and a new visitor centre have failed to materialise. Only $5m has been spent on helping Jabiru transition from a mining town to a tourism centre.

Northern Territory Jim Jim Waterfall, Kakadu stock photo

Speaking during question time in NT parliament yesterday, Ms Uibo said the NT government was still pushing the federal government to see the money.

“This needs to be fast-tracked,” she said.

“The federal government offered $216m for infrastructure into Kakadu.”

“Last night’s federal budget did not deliver and change in bringing forward that investment.”

Ms Uibo said the NT government was being met with silence and questioned where the funds were for the national park.

“Kakadu belongs to all of our Territorians and we’ve got to support the TOs in the parks,” she said.

NT Labor senator Malarndirri McCarthy said the lack of funding for Kakadu was “a wasted opportunity”.

“Two years on, Kakadu is marred by mismanagement and none of that money has hit the ground in the national park,” Ms Malarndirri said.

However, NT CLP Senator Sam McMahon insisted the federal government remained committed to spending the $216m on restoring Kakadu.

“The $216 million for Kakadu was in the October 2020 budget and has not gone anywhere,” Senator McMahon said.

In the lead up to Tuesday, tourism operators were hoping measures to rejuvenate the national park would be included in the budget. Tourism Top End general manager Glen Hingley said he had hoped to see a “significant uplift” in the park’s operational funding, which was only $13.5m a year.