Major development after Aboriginal group shut down spectacular swimming spot for SIX years
A spectacular swimming hole in the Northern Territory will reopen after the traditional owners closed it off from the public for six years.
The famous Gunlom Falls in Kakadu National Park was closed after Parks Australia built a walkway up to a scenic view.
Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority (AAPA) launched legal action claiming the work was done near a sacred site without their permission.
Under the Northern Territory Aboriginal Sacred Sites Act, all construction work must be agreed to and signed off by the AAPA.
The dispute went to court with the federally run Parks Australia fined $200,000 and issuing an apology.
However, traditional owners from the Gunlom Aboriginal Land Trust have given the green light for Parks Australia to reopen the falls to the public.
It comes as Northern Land Council has negotiated a new lease agreement with the federal government for Kakadu National Park, with increased rent of $10.7 million per year.
Parks is now conducting final safety checks ahead of a planned reopening for the falls in late May.
After the rainy season from November to April, the site has a roaring waterfall cascading down 85-metre cliffs to an emerald billabong.
The falls also offer stunning views across the south of Kakadu National Park.
The billabong will be open for swimming during the dry season from May to October.
There is a public campground near the base of the falls, complete with showers and toilets, while the nearest accommodation is Cooinda Lodge, about an hour away by 4WD.
The falls, previously known as UDP falls after the Uranium Developing and Prospecting Company, have long attracted tourists to the Northern Territory.
In 1986 the site appeared in the movie Crocodile Dundee.
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