Court hearing for breach of sacred site laws in Kakadu National Park

ABC NEWS (Australia)

An extraordinary court hearing has begun in Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory to consider a long running dispute between the Commonwealth and traditional owners over a controversial development at Gunlom Falls.

Transcript

00:00This is an extraordinary courtroom that's been set up here at Gunlam Falls in the middle

00:06of Kakadu National Park, where a large number of people have gathered in a sort of tent-like

00:12structure in the hot sun to hear a Commonwealth agency, Parks Australia, formally plead guilty

00:18to damaging a sacred site here way back in 2019.

00:23We've heard victim impact statements from a number of traditional owners and custodians

00:27of the site, Jarwin people, who've described to the court what the impact was for them

00:32personally.

00:33They've described a feeling of betrayal and violated trust when Parks Australia, which

00:38is one half of the management of Kakadu National Park, with traditional owners being the other

00:42half, went about the work of constructing a walking track near this sacred site in a

00:48way that went against traditional owners' wishes.

00:51They say it took visitors far too close to what is a very sacred men's site that should

00:56only be seen by Aboriginal traditional owners and men under certain, very specific circumstances.

01:03After the proceedings have wrapped up today, the judge will deliberate and tomorrow we'll

01:08make a final decision as to what the punishment, the correct punishment, for Parks Australia

01:14will be.

01:15We know the prosecution is seeking a fine of at least $200,000, but we'll have to wait

01:20and see what the judge decides.

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