Traditional owners threaten to close down Kakadu National Park, key tourism sites

TRADITIONAL owners of Kakadu National Park are warning that they may close the World Heritage site over a management dispute

Kakadu National Park ... Traditional owners are warning that they may close the World Heritage site. Picture: Che Chorley

TRADITIONAL owners of Kakadu National Park are warning they will close the World Heritage site after claims Parks Australia has mismanaged the site over a number of years.

The land is jointly managed by Kakadu’s traditional owners and the federal government agency Parks Australia.

Traditional owner Jonathan Nadji has told the ABC’s Four Corners program he will shut the famous lookout and rock art of Ubirr to drive home the point.

The report said senior traditional owner for Gunlom Falls, Mick Markham, also said he was prepared to close down that site.

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Four Corners tonight investigates the “accusations of mismanagement and neglect which have fuelled a bitter dispute between the park’s traditional owners and the authority that runs the park”.

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