A new management plan for Kati Thunda-Lake Eyre National Park in South Australia restricts visitors from walking onto the salt lake, among other recreational activities.

 

The new plan was developed to support the Traditional Owners’ management of Country, protect the lake’s salt crust and surface, and increase visitor safety. 

Kati Thunda-Lake Eyre covers an area of 9,500km squared within South Australia’s second largest national park. The site is registered under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988 and is co-managed by National Parks and Wildlife Service SA and the Arabana Aboriginal Corporation. 

The lake is primarily a dry bed, but it attracts up to 25,000 visitors when it experiences one of its rare but spectacular floods. For the native-title holders, the Arabana people, Kati Thunda–Lake Eyre is considered in lore to be sacred and dangerous to visit without the guidance of cultural authority. The area is also an Important Bird Area, designated by BirdLife International as it’s a major breeding ground for numerous species. 

Why does the plan exist?

The management plan builds on pre-existing restrictions on other recreational activities like swimming, boating, driving, and landing aircraft, all legislated under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. It was formalised after community members were asked to provide feedback in 2024. Visitors will still be able to experience the lake by taking a scenic flight tour or viewing it from a designated viewing platform.

 

Lake Eyre | credit South Australian Tourism Commission

Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park from the sky | Photo by South Australia Tourism Commission

 

NPWS National Parks Programs Manager Jason Irving said the plan is about public safety. ‘The lake is incredibly remote and people who may get injured or lost on the lake bed cannot rely on others to rescue them’, he said. ‘Vehicles driven out onto the lake can also break down or get bogged and leave people stranded. These circumstances have led to deaths on SA salt lakes.’

Bronwyn Dodd, Chairwoman of the Arabana Aboriginal Corporation, said, ‘This plan reflects Arabana’s cultural responsibility to protect our Country, and preservation of this lake and all that lies within it and surrounding it preserves our way of life. It is a very special place’.

 

Photo courtesy of SA Department of Environment and Water 

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