MEDIA RELEASE: 22 October 2020, Morrison Government takes 648 days to deliver draft Kakadu Tourism Plan, then gives industry just 14 days to provide feedback

22 October 2020

MEDIA RELEASE

SENATOR DON FARRELL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR TOURISM
SENATOR FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA
 
WARREN SNOWDON MP
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR NORTHERN AUSTRALIA
MEMBER FOR LINGIARI

SENATOR MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY
SENATOR FOR THE NORTHERN TERRITORY

LUKE GOSLING MP
MEMBER FOR SOLOMON

Kakadu tourism investment must be fast-tracked to bring tourists back to this Top End jewel and support jobs in the Northern Territory.
 
The Morrison Government’s release of a draft tourism master plan for Kakadu comes 648 days after the plan was first announced.
 
It’s about time!

Kakadu is an Australian icon – with breathtaking landscapes, rich ecosystems, abundant wildlife and, at its heart, a connection to indigenous culture and country.
 
At its peak Kakadu attracted around 300,000 visitors a year.
 
But after years of underinvestment by the Liberal-National Federal Government, visitation has since dropped to only 185,000 a year.
 
Since Scott Morrison and Michael McCormack announced up to $216 million for Kakadu upgrades in January 2019:

Today, the NT tourism industry is understandably pushing back against being given two weeks to provide feedback on a plan the Government took more than 92 weeks to deliver.
 
Yesterday’s announcement is an important step but is sadly yet another clear example of a Government focused only on announcements and headlines but failing when it comes to delivery and deadlines.

With the draft plan complete, the Morrison Government must commit to a clear timeline for delivering the funding it promised and the upgrades that will return Kakadu to the top of tourists’ must-visit lists.
 
THURSDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2020