Key paragraph at the end of the document in the hope that you never read that far...
For these reasons, recreational walking, swimming,
driving and boating on Lake Eyre/Kati Thanda will not
be permitted.
Visitors will be encouraged to respect
the wishes of Arabana people by viewing the lake
from the designated visitor nodes, or from the air.
A National Park is a recreation area where the environment is preserved for recreational enjoyment
The fact that the Arabana were granted native title over the Lake and areas surrounding it and to the South illustrates corruption of process
Native title was granted to the Arabana as being non-exclusive
Australia is a multicultural society. Allowing one culture to completely control a National Park is discriminatory and devisive.
The conection between a former Premier, BHP and the Arabana.
In 2012 the previous Labor Govt. tried to downgrade Lake Eyre National Park to a Nature Reserve removing recreational access.
Privatisation of the peoples National Parks is illegal and putting these parks out of reach of families
Safety concerns may have been applicable in the past but modern technology removes these concerns
Sailing on the Lake and camping on wave terrace beaches cannot disturb indigenous cultural remains as these areas are regularly remade due to wave action.
Myths are not covered under Aboriginal Heritage legislation. Not allowing walking on the Lakes surface is contrary to what actually happens.
The plan.
A National Park is a recreation area where the environment is preserved for recreational enjoyment.
To deny recreational access to a National Park is contrary to the very reason it was created and consequently any attempt to do so will require legislation and invite legal challenge. We are dssapointed that successive Labor Governments have attempted to prevent us boating on a navigable lake. Particularly when two of our founding members lobbied for the creation of the park in the first place.
The fact that the Arabana were granted native title over the Lake and areas surrounding it and to the South indicates corruption within the Native Title Tribunal and Federal Court.
Read More
Native Title has two classes, exclusive and non-exclusive. The majority of Native Title granted in SA has been non-exclusive meaning they do not have exclusive control over the country. THEY CANNOT PREVENT PEOPLE FROM RECREATING IN A NATIONAL PARK. Even their lawyer, Stephen Kenny, stated that "they [the Arabana] cannot stop people entering the park" [2011 media report]
See Map
Australia is a multicultural society. Allowing one culture to completely control a National Park is discriminatory and devisive.Imagine what would happen if I put a sign out the front of the Clubhouse denying entry to indigenous persons. I would be prosecuted under racial vilification laws - and yet the SA Govt will give the Arabana the right to do just that.
The conection between a former Premier, BHP and the Arabana.
Read More
In 2012 the previous Labor Govt. tried to downgrade Lake Eyre National Park to a Nature Reserve removing recreational access.
Read More
Privatisation of the peoples National Parks is illegal and putting these parks out of reach of families.
Public land, a park, a National Park is being placed in the hands of a private group for the sole purpose of making money by controlling access to that park. The park is being privatised. This is already occuring in other parks in SA. For example...
7.1 You now have to pay $90 per person to an indigenous guide to view petroglyphs at Sacred Canyon. These stone engraved carvings are ancient and were not made by the current indigenous occupiers.
7.2 To enter Ediacra National Park you pay $200 per person to an indigenous guide to view ancient fossils.
Take your typical family of two adults and two teen children - $360 to visit Sacred Canyon and $800 to visit Ediacra. Pricing a park out of reach of the average family and catering only for the wealthy. No wonder tourism is dying in the Far North.
The Arabana state that they feel responsible for the safety of people entering the park. As public land they have no legal liability for anything related to the park.
In past times it may have been unsafe to walk out on the Lake. Myths, similar to European Boogieman myths, were a valid way to ensure children were under control.
Today however technology provides an excellent safety net. We have maps, compass, GPS, Emergency beacon, flares, Satphone and UHF radios. Aircraft regularly fly overhead.
From next year it will be possible to SMS using a conventional mobile phone from anywhere in Australia and in fact the world.
Suggestions have been made that boating on the Lake could disturb indigenous remains, particularly on shores. Can we point out that the boundary of the National Park, except for the Tirari Desert part is the peak level of the 1974 flood. Thus any remnants of indigenous occupation have been regularly destroyed by wave action occuring every flood. We camp on these wave terraces as they are generally level and largely devoid of vegetation.
In 2011 the Head of Dept Aboriginal Affairs informed the Club that neither Native Title nor Aboriginal Heritage Acts could prevent us from boating. The Heritage Act concerns damage to indigenous sites not beliefs. When boating we are nowhere near any indigenous sites as shown to us in a meetinng in 2011.We proved in 2011 that we have a common law right to access and boat on navigable water. No fines have been paid and despite laying down a challenge no court action was taken.
Aboriginal tour companies and other touring companies regularly took tourists to the Lake to walk on/in it.
The Arabunna lawyers once advertised fund raising tours which included swimming in the Lake.
In 2011 an offer was made to the Club to be able to issue boating permits in exchange for a commission. The comment was made that the "Arabana needed an income". Lovely concept. The Club gets all the hate and the Arabana most of the money!