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.
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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.