Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm very pleased to speak to this important piece of private member's business. It is a credit to the member for Leichhardt for raising it. He understands this issue. From the Northern Territory's perspective, being the heart of our nation, our Indigenous communities have maintained strong and direct links to their culture for over 60,000 years. Engagement with our Indigenous cultures is one of the main reasons—and surveys continually tell us this—that visitors come to the Northern Territory. They want that genuine experience across cultural communication. It is the best way, I believe, to unite Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and communities. I think that Indigenous owned and run tourism offers that experience like no other. It is true, I think, that most Australians are seeking a deeper understanding of and connection with our nation's first people. I won't speak for everyone, but I know on this side of the House and certainly for some of the members from the other side that seek to speak on this there is a genuine acknowledgment of this important task that we all are engaged in.

In the Northern Territory, our art is a major channel to do that. We have world-class First Nations art in the Northern Territory, from the delicate cross-hatchings of the saltwater people of north-east Arnhem Land to the bright shapes and pastels depicting the central deserts of Australia. The Aboriginal art of the Northern Territory is world famous. Every August in Darwin we host the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awards, one of the richest and most prestigious such prizes in the world. We also host the National Indigenous Art Fair, bringing the artwork of Indigenous communities from around Australia into the Top End so they can showcase their work. I was very proud last week to present an award to the Darwin Aboriginal art fair for their great efforts in not letting COVID stop the art fair. They transitioned online, and they raised almost as much money as they did when they had people coming in the door and seeing the artwork firsthand. It's hugely popular with international visitors and interstate visitors alike. Obviously it will just be interstate visitors this year. We do get huge spikes in tourism numbers when these prestigious art events and art fairs are held in Darwin, and we're very proud to host artwork from all around Australia's many First Nations communities.

We have a lot to be proud of in our artwork, but also in our landscapes, which are like no other. And it is here that we need to help Indigenous-owned businesses get Australians out onto country, and then, when we open up, bring out people from around the world. I do want to say that it is disappointing that the government has been so slow to act to support industry in this regard. Kakadu National Park is an absolute jewel in the crown of Australia's national parks, and yet some of its major tourism sites, like Gunlom Falls, will remain closed for yet another year due to a sacred site being disrespected by Parks Australia.

Parks Australia has had a difficult and fraught relationship with traditional owners in recent times, but it wasn't always that way. It used to be a model of what joint management—traditional owners with Parks—could achieve. I really encourage the minister and Parks Australia to spend more time trying to understand the importance of these sacred sites, and to work together with the traditional owners, with Indigenous-owned and with non-Indigenous-owned tourism businesses so that we can get more Australians out on to that beautiful ancient landscape. We need to do that as a matter of priority.

There has been a lot of talk. The Prime Minister went up there during the last federal election and promised $216 million for Kakadu. We've seen next to nothing of that. We're coming up to another election. Will he come up and reannounce money for Kakadu? I hope not. What we want to see immediately is that funding get onto the ground to make our jewel shine, as it deserves to. Indigenous tourism is incredibly important. I'm glad that we've had a chance to speak on it today. I encourage the government to fund Kakadu and to live up to its promises.

See this speech in context