Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00002:front:0:p7
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00002
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 20157–23125

in the east, through wooded lowlands to the western boundary (Figure 1).

Kakadu is a cultural landscape that displays evidence of cultural practices dating back thousands of years and, in many cases, continue to be observed by Bininj/Mungguy in the park today. The park is diverse in language and tradition as it is home to many Aboriginal clan groups. Each clan group has responsibility for looking after and speaking for their own area of country. This responsibility is passed down through generations, along with the knowledge necessary to understand, manage and respect the ancient land. Use and management of the land by past and present generations of Bininj/Mungguy has helped to shape the landscape that we see today.

The park's natural environment is a vast one of exceptional beauty and unique biodiversity. The rugged and ancient stone country provides refuge for a great diversity of native species, and is a hotspot of endemic plants and animals. Extensive floodplains support diverse habitats and a great concentration of waterbirds and other aquatic species. Largely intact woodlands and open forest dominate the lowlands and represent the largest area of savanna within a protected area in the world, while pockets of rainforest provide a cool and shady refuge for many other species.

Both the natural and cultural heritage values of the park have been recognised by its inscription on the World Heritage List under the World Heritage Convention. The park is also listed on the National Heritage List under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), and as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. Many species that occur in the park are protected under international agreements including the Bonn Convention for conserving migratory species and Australia's migratory bird protection agreements with China (CAMBA), Japan (JAMBA) and the Republic of Korea (ROKAMBA).

     1.2                 The Aboriginal custodians

Creation

Every culture has a creation story. Aboriginal people believe that they have been here from the time of the first ancestors, or Nayuhyunggi (in the Gundjeihmi language), when landscapes formed, ancestral beings transformed themselves into animals and sacred places were created.

The Nayuhyunggi were the first people who formed the landscape, planted foods and left people and language behind. At the completion of their creative activities, they 'sat down' and left their essence in the landscape. The whole landscape is evidence of not only their past activities but also their current presence (Chaloupka 1993).

Figure 1: Location of Kakadu National Park

Creation Ancestors came in many forms. The Rainbow Snake (Almudj/Alyod in Gundjeihmi and Bolung in Jawoyn) is a spiritual being of great significance in Aboriginal culture in Kakadu. Other ancestral beings include Bula (important creator), Namarrgon (Lightning Man) and Warramurrungundji (Earth