Kakadu National Park, Australia: Analysis of the Management Plan

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Kakadu National Park, Australia Analysis of the
Management Plan

• Diana Barszcz
• May 11, 2006

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Kakadu National Park

• Located Northern Territory, Australia
• Size 19,804 square km
• Species 102 rare or threatened species
• Special Interests World Heritage site
  Environmental and Cultural
• 50,000 years of aboriginal life
• Major landforms and habitats within the park
  include the sandstone plateau and escarpment,
  extensive areas of savanna woodlands and open
  forest, rivers, billabongs, floodplains,
  mangroves and mudflats. The area is richly
  diverse, ecologically and biologically.
• -Setting the scene

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Why was it created?

• 1965 Need for conservation and protection of
  aboriginal rights
• The wetlands are of international importance
• Threat of encroachment of development on
  aboriginal land and desire to protect it
• A national park would protect their land and
  place it under management
• 50 of park land is owned by Aboriginal land
  trusts
• For the enjoyment and benefit of all Australians
• The park is proclaimed under the National Parks
  and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1975

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Management Goals

• Respect the interests of Aboriginal traditional
  owners
• Conserve the natural and cultural heritage of the
  park, which is of regional, national, and
  international significance
• Encourage visitors to appreciate, enjoy, and
  understand the park
• -Kakadu National Park Plan of Management Vision

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Management Actions

• There are many cultural management plans, but
  will not be discussed here
• Ecological management pertains to
• Fire
• Native, Exotic, and Weed Plants
• Native, Introduced, and Feral Animals
• Leasing lands for development

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Constraints to Planning

• The Aboriginal Land Rights Act of 1976
• National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act of
  1975
• Tourism and conservation
• A place where people live and work, Kakadu is
  also important to local residents and neighbors
  as a place for recreation, education and
  appreciation of the natural and cultural
  environment

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Ecological Values

• World Heritage Site
• Outstanding examples representing significant
  ongoing geological processes, biological
  evolution, and mans interaction with his natural
  environment.
• Unique, rare or superlative natural phenomena,
  formations or features or areas of exceptional
  beauty.
• The most important and significant habitats where
  species of plants and animals of outstanding
  universal value from the point of view of science
  and conservation still survive.

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Socioeconomic Values

• Hunting and gathering environment for traditional
  owners
• Form of employment
• Tourism plays a large role in the economics of
  the area
• Mining and other ventures

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Eco/Social Balance

• Uranium deposits wont be mined in the park
• Impact statements must be created for operations
  in the park
• Tourism makes up for lost revenue in resource
  extraction
• Aboriginals can lease land
• Aboriginals collect resources from the land in
  order to sell
• Sections are protected from development

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Stakeholder Involvement

• The current plan (4th) requires traditional
  owners to participate in joint management and be
  members of a Board of Management
• 10/14 members of Board of management is
  aboriginals (est. 1989) Director, assistant
  secretary, conservation scientist, and tourism
• Employing traditional owners and aboriginals
• 43 different representatives for creation of this
  plan

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Ecological Boundaries

• Works from local to international
• Has a wide variety of landscapes that are
  solitarily and group managed
• Historic range of variability is not a question
  as traditional owners were present for 50,000
  years

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Monitoring the Plan

• In 1995, the plan was updated into its 4th form
  by Dr David Lawrence after identifying the
  establishment history and issues of joint
  management
• Park workers, consultants, research permits, and
  head scientist all conduct monitoring and
  research

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Strengths and Weaknesses

• Incredible amounts of stakeholder involvement
• A lot of research being conducted to improve the
  plan continually
• Difficult to manage for so many different areas
  i.e. cultural and ecological
• Hard to find funding for all this work

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Current Status

• This plan is now currently under review
• Present plan includes the needed improvements
  from the previous
• May 10, 2006 Kakadu National Park received
  funding in its budget to clean up uranium
  contamination

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An Effective Plan? Yes

• The goals and objectives are clearly stated and
  permeate throughout the plan
• It recognizes the human use and values
• The plan and management requires stakeholder
  involvement
• It is an adaptive plan with active monitoring
• Uses many ecosystem management concepts

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Questions?