NT national parks to charge fees for tourists

Interstate and international visitors to the Northern Territory will have to come with deeper pockets from 2022, as the NT Government confirms its plan to expand national park entry fees.

An NT Government spokeswoman said park fees in the Territory had not increased for the past 20 years.

“Fees provide funds for improvements to our parks and reserves,” she said.

Previously, all NT Government-run national parks have had free entry for all visitors. However, the Territory’s two biggest federally-run tourism drawcards, Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Parks, already have paid permit systems in place.

A spokeswoman for Parks Minister Selena Uibo said NT locals would be exempt from having to pay for short trips to the parks.

Key points:

• Territory residents won’t be forced to pay for day trips
• Tourism operators say future park fees should go towards national park upkeep
• Tourists appeared prepared to take on the added burden

Mixed reaction from industry

The head of the Top End’s tourism peak body said he feared new national park fees could further burden the region’s fragile industry, which is already struggling to adjust to day-by-day changes to hot spots and border closures.

Tourism Top End chief executive Glen Hingley said the fees would be “yet another impediment that’s put on businesses that makes their business unviable in these uncertain times”.

He said it could even enhance the park if the funds were dedicated to conservation and management.