Park Management

General Management:

Kakadu National park is proclamed under the Enironment Protection and Biodiversity Act (1999) and is managed by the traditional Aboriginal oweners and the Directors of National Parks. Approximately 50% of the land in the park is Aboriginal land under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976, and most of the remaining area of land is under claim by Aboriginal people. The land trusts have leased their land to the Director of National Parks for the purpose of a national park for the enjoyment and benefit of all Australians.

The Management Plan is the main policy document for the park and strives to balance strategic or long-term goals and tactical or day to day goals. The Management Plan is based on the experience of managing the park since 1979. Fundamental issues addressed in the Plan are the need to make sure that the rights of the Aboriginal traditional owners are recognised, that they contribute to managing the park, and that they are able to benefit from the park economically (and through the promotion of Aboriginal values). The traditional owners must be active partners with Parks Australia in managing the park if the joint management arrangement in Kakadu is to work. The Plan also addresses the many continuing and major issues for Kakadu in the areas of conservation of natural and cultural heritage and provision for public appreciation and enjoyment of the park. It states that there is a continuing need for increased regional cooperation in conservation and tourism management.

The plan looks at how to conserve natural and cultural values, at the same time as protecting the interests of the park's traditional owners and providing for safe and enriching experiences for visitors. This plan focuses on developing partnerships between government, the private sector and traditional owners to provide new opportunities for visitors and new business opportunities for local Aboriginal people.

The plan also focuses on the importance of weed control and traditional fire management to keep the country strong. Climate change and improving the resilience of the habitats and species are also important issues.

Apart from its World Heritage and Ramsar convention listings, Kakadu is also subject to international treaties for the protection of other wildlife and habitats:

  • Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of Japan for the Protection of Migratory Birds and Birds in Danger of Extinction and their Environment (JAMBA)
    (Forty-six of the 76 birds listed under this agreement are found in the park)
  • Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the People's Republic of China for the Protection of Migratory Birds and their Environment (CAMBA)
    (Fifty of the 81 birds listed under this agreement are in the park;)
  • Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn Convention)
    (Twenty-one of the species listed under this convention are found in Kakadu;)
  • Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
  • Convention on Conservation of Nature in the South Pacific (Apia Convention)

Managing Kakadu's Cultural Herritage:

These are the aims of cultural heritage management in Kakadu:

  • to make sure that the World Heritage features of the Park are protected and that the traditional owners control the management of their cultural heritage and cultural things in the Park;
  • to support the recording and management of Bininj/Mungguy spoken cultural heritage;
  • to support the maintenance of Aboriginal spoken cultural heritage (in keeping with the wishes of traditional owners);
  • to record and protect areas of significance (in keeping with the wishes of traditional owners);
  • to protect and conserve rock art and other archaeological sites (in line with the wishes of traditional owners);
  • to arrange for Aboriginal artefacts to be returned to Kakadu and to arrange appropriate access to such artefacts (when wanted by traditional owners);
  • to make sure the 'post-contact' historical sites in Kakadu are recorded and conserved.

Manageing the Natural Herritage of Kakadu:

The Natural Heritage Management aims in Kakadu are:

  • to protect and maintain the natural land and water systems of the Park and to rehabilitate eroded and disturbed areas
  • to manage fire and to
    • promote traditional Aboriginal ways of burning within the Park
    • protect life and property within and next to the Park
    • restrict fire from spreading so that it does not enter or leave the Park
    • keep biodiversity through effective fire management of species and habitats
  • to keep up the natural amount and distribution of native plans and habitats while providing for the rights and needs of traditional owners
  • to minimise weed invasion and degradation of the environment in the Park
  • to conserve the natural amount and distribution of native animals (while providing for the rights and interests of traditional owners)
  • to manage recreational fishing in the Park so that visitors can have access for recreational fishing but the impacts of this activity are kept to a minimum
  • to limit, as far as possible, the effects of feral animals on the Kakadu environment (while taking into account the views and economic interests of traditional owners)

Fire Manaement:

This earth, I never damage.
I look after. Fire is nothing, just clean up.
When you burn, new grass coming up.
That means good animal soon,
might be goanna, possum, wallaby.
Burn him off, new grass coming up, new life all over

Bill Neidjie, Aboriginal traditional owner.

Each wet season monsoonal rains create fast plant growth. During the dry season the plants drie out and large amounts of fuel buildup. Since the park was proclamied, the Bininj/Mungguy and the park managers have worked together to reduce the number of hot fires at the end of the dry season. In the stone country, burning is used to reduce the amount of fuel along creeks. Firebreaks burnt around fire-sensitive communities such as monsoon forest, sandstone heath and mature paperbark forests help to protect the communities from later, hot wildfires. Early in the dry season firebreaks are also burnt around art sites, buildings, camping areas and other permanent structures. Parts of the park boundary are burnt to reduce the risk of fires entering or leaving it. In the woodland areas, traditional owners and park staff light a lot of cool fires in the early dry season. This creates a 'patchwork' of burnt and unburnt areas, which breaks up the country, helping to prevent large, destructive wildfires later in the season. As the floodplains dry out, they are burnt to reduce fuel loads.

Research and monitoring are very important to fire management in Kakadu. Continuing monitoring of the Park's fire-management program and its effectiveness involves ground observation and photographic points that show the effect of burning over time and satellite mapping of fire scars.

 

Weed Management:

(a weed is defined as any naturalised [established and reproducing in the wild] plant that is not native to Kakadu.)

Weeds compete with native plants for light, moisture and nutrients and often do not provide appropriate food and shelter for native wildlife. Strong (fast spreading and hard to get rid of) weeds reduce plant and animal diversity, change burning plans, and alter the structure, function and species makeup of natural ecosystems.

Kakadu remains one of the most weed free conservation areas in Australia. Only a small amount of weeds found in the Park are considered invasive (strong): mimosa, salvinia, para grass, mission grass, gamba grass, candle bush, calopo, Gambia pea, golden shower, poinciana and coffee bush. Of these, mimosa, salvinia and para grass are the worst because of their potental to spread over large areas.

Mimosa (Mimosa pigra):

A Central American woody shrub that under ideal conditions grows up to 4 metres tall and is very invasive. Large areas of mimosa are on the Adelaide River floodplain, the Daly, Finniss and Mary Rivers and on the East Alligator floodplain near Oenpelli

Salvinia (Salvinia molesta): 

This weed was discovered in the Magela Creek system in 1983. Salvinia spread rapidly into other tributaries of the East Alligator River and onto the Magela floodplain. Despite quarantining of the area and cooperation from the public, a new infestation was found in Nourlangie Creek in 1990. During the wet season salvinia is flushed out of Nourlangie Creek into the South Alligator River.

Para grass (Brachiaria mutica):

was introduced  as pasture grass in the 1930s. Like mimosa, para grass can take over huge areas of floodplain, growing quickly when grazing is reduced and after burning. The grass is quickly filling in a number of Kakadu's wetlands and threatening wildlife habitats. Biological control is not an option at the moment since para grass is still being promoted as a pasture grass for cattle outside the Park. Control involves pulling out small infestations and using herbicides in larger areas.

Feral Animal Management: 

Feral animals in Kakadu are animals introduced by non-Aboriginal people, that were once either domestic or native to another country and that now lives and breeds in the Park. Some of the feral animals in Kakadu are Asian water buffaloes, cattle, pigs, horses, donkeys, cats, dogs, rats, mice, house geckos and European bees. Cane toads were recorded in Kakadu for the first time on 12 March 2001. The management plan for feral animals in Kakadu is to limit, as far as possible, their effects on the environment while taking into account the views and economic interests of traditional owners.

Buffalos:

Asian water buffalos were introduced into northern Australian settlements between the 1820s and the 1840s, as work animals and for meat. As these settlements were abandoned, the buffaloes were released and quickly spread across the lowlands of the Alligator Rivers region.

By the 1960s buffalo numbers were huge and the damage they were causing was obvious. Buffalos cause damage in a lot of ways. Their size, weight and hard hooves compact the soil and slow plant growth, causing erosion. When they wallow they erode river banks and muddie the water, making it hard for many aquatic plants and animals to live. They eat large amounts of grasses and other plants, competing directly with native wildlife. The removal of buffaloes from Kakadu National Park began in 1979. Of a population of 20 000 buffaloes, it is thought that only a few hundred remain (Press et al 1995). Since the buffalo numbers were lowered degraded areas have recovered dramatically. There are fewer buffalo wallows, there is clear water in billabongs, there is less salt intrusion, and plants such as red water lilies, grasses and sedge plants-valuable food for native animals-are coming back.

Pigs:

Pigs cause damage to a lot of Kakadu's habitats. They degrade the environment around springs and small rainforest patches, especially in the wet season. They also dig up areas in their search for food and compete directly with magpie geese and Aboriginal people for bulbs that grow along the wetland shores. The ground they expose is vulnerable to weed infestation-pigs are thought to be the main agents of spreading the weed mimosa through the Park.

Horses: 

Horses are particularly common in the southern woodlands of the Park. They spread weeds and damage waterholes by eroding soil and fouling the water. Recent control measures have reduced the number of horses along the Kakadu Highway.

Cats:

There is a low number of cats in the Park. Observations and research from southern Australia suggest that cats' hunting activity is having a damaging effect on native wildlife. Cats are not allowed to be kept as pets in the township of Jabiru. They are shot by park staff each wet season along floodplain and creek margins.

Dogs:

Dogs that have become feral have some impact because they interbreed with the dingo population in the Park, changing the dingo gene pool. Jabiru residents are allowed to keep up to two dogs within the confines of the township and park residents can keep dogs at the discretion of the Director of National Parks.

Cane Toads: 

Cane toads were found in Kakadu National Park on 12 March 2001. Cane toads are poisonous throughout most of their life and current information suggests that they will have an initial impact on animals such as snakes, goannas and quolls, who will try to eat them. Evidence from other areas effected by Cane toads suggest numbers will stabilise after an initial period. No effective control measures are available. Cane toads in the Park are likely to be one of the most pressing management problems facing Kakadu in the coming decade.

Estuarine Crocodile Management:

Estuarine crocodile management in Kakadu is aimed at lowering the danger of crocodile attack while at the same time ensuring the protection of crocodile populations. Throughout the year park staff carry out crocodile surveys in all the major waterways to get data on distribution, numbers and size. If a particular crocodile's behaviour is thought to be a potential threat to people, the crocodile is either captured, tagged and released (a process that makes crocodiles wary of people) or given to an Aboriginal community for food. The emphasis of Kakadu's crocodile management is to educate visitors about crocodiles and their dangers through brochures, signs and advice.

Manageing Tourism:

Keeping visitor services and facilities in order is a large part of the work of rangers in Kakadu National Park and uses more that a third of the Park's staff and financial resources. An important part of tourism management in Kakadu is visitor control measures at sensitive sites or sites where visitation is increasing, to prevent large environmental impacts. These are developed and implemented through the Management Plan, area plans and the Park's capital works and maintenance programs. Visitor safety is a key concern. It is dealt with by providing safety signs and information to visitors and tour guides, constructing visitor facilities to safe standards, and, when necessary, closing road access to areas where public safety would be endangered, such as areas that are flooded or inhabited by estuarine crocodiles. Monitoring visitor numbers, experiences and impacts is necessary so that appropriate services and facilities can be provided in the future. Visitor surveys and environmental impact monitoring are conducted regularly for this purpose. Tourism industry seminars are currently held twice a year to help tour operators provide high-quality information to clients on tours in the Park. There are plans to develop a training and accreditation system to further help the tourism industry conduct tourism activities of a high standard in the Park in the future.

 

Issues Related to World

 Herritage Listing

Kakadu has been listed on the World Heritage List for both its natural and cultural value. Stage one was inscribed in 1981 and stage two in 1987. The whole of the park was listed in December 1992. The records of the 1992 meeting of the World Heritage Committee that considered the consolidated listing of Kakadu commended the Australian authorities 'for concluding a 10 year programme to extend the park and for the exemplary management operation at the park'. Kakadu National Park is Aboriginal land, home to one of the oldest continuous cultures in the world. It also protects the entire catchment of a large tropical river, the South Alligator, with stunning wetlands, spectacular escarpment country and a remarkable array of plants and animals, especially birdlife. Because of this it is an internationally significant World Heritage Area.  

Kakadu is listed as a World Heritage site against the following cultural and natural criteria:

Cultural Criteria:

(i) represent a unique artistic achievement, a masterpiece of a creative genius; and

(vi) be directly or tangibly associated with events or with ideas or beliefs of outstanding universal significance.


Natural Criteria:

(ii) outstanding examples representing significant ongoing geological processes, biological evolution and man's interaction with his natural environment;

(iii) unique, rare or superlative natural phenomena, formations or features or areas of exceptional natural beauty; and

(iv) the most important and significant habitats where threatened species of plants and animals of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science and conservation still survive.

Some of the issues involved with being a word herritage site include, mining of uranium, tourism, the up keep of significant Aboriginal sites and the preservation of habitats. There is more information on these on this site. 

 

Value of the Park

The value of Kakadu phenomenal it's value is not only from the tourism business. Kakadu is also valuable  because of it's unique habitats, scenery, animal speices and the culture of it's traditional owners.

The Value of Habitats:

The habitats of the park exceedingly valuable becase they help to sustain the wild life of Kakadu. There are many different habitats in Kakadu and all of them are important to the continuation of the park.

The Value of Animals:

The wild life is valuable in the same was that habitats are. They are also used as a food sorce and as an educational source for the Aboriginal owners of the area.

The Cultural Value:

The culture of the peoples of the park is very valuable. The teaching of this culture helps to preserve and conserve the ways of the traditional owner of the land.

The value of Scenery:

The fantastic views in the area help to attract tourists which keeps the very important businesses running. These businesses help to raise money for the contiuing consercation of the park.

 

Current Problems and

 Concerns

The current problems and conserns of the park include mining, feral animals, the impacts of tourism, weeds, fire and the issues related to being a WHS (world herritage site). The plan looks at how to conserve those natural and cultural values, whilst protecting the interests of the park's traditional owners and providing for safe and enriching experiences for visitors.

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