Have your say on Kakadu’s future

The Director of National Parks (DNP) is inviting public comments on the development of a new 10-year management plan for Kakadu National Park.

Kakadu is Aboriginal land that is leased to the Commonwealth. Kakadu is jointly managed as a national park by the DNP and the Kakadu National Park Board of Management supported by Parks Australia.

The Kakadu National Park Management Plan 2016-2026 will expire on 5 January 2026. Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, the DNP and the Kakadu National Park Board of Management are required to prepare a new management plan for the park.

Over the past few years, significant investments have been made in infrastructure, the protection of natural and cultural values, organisational reforms and employment pathways. This sets a tone of improvement and growth, creating a foundation for long-term sustainability and resilience into the future.

The purpose of the new plan is to describe the direction and management actions for Kakadu over the next 10 years.

Key areas for consideration during this stage of public consultation include:

• What do you think are important priorities for Kakadu National Park over the next 10 years?
• What are the key values of Kakadu National Park that you want to see preserved and protected into the future?
• What do you think might be important challenges for Kakadu National Park over the next 10 years?
• Are there areas where you would like to see more focus in the next management plan? For example, more focus on science and research, education, tourism, and/or managing threats to the park’s natural and cultural values?

Responses received during the public consultation period will be considered by the DNP and the Kakadu National Park Board of Management. This information will help inform the drafting of a new 10-year management plan. There will be a second stage of public consultation when the draft management plan is released for feedback.

In preparation for developing a new management plan, the DNP sought an independent evaluation of the Kakadu National Park Management Plan 2016-2026 to provide recommendations that will assist to develop a new management plan.

Public comments can be submitted through the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water ‘Have Your Say’ portal until 31 July 2025 https://consult.dcceew.gov.au/