The Wunambal Gaambera people — the traditional owners of the land — said the funds would be used to get local people out to remote sites more often, to help greet tourists, to pick up rubbish and to ensure cultural sites are protected.
"It's mainly to support our [Uunguu] rangers and help the traditional owners go out on country to protect areas … and to welcome tourists too, so they can see the rangers talk about the country and the area they're in."
If this is the case then great. But forgive me if I am a little bit sceptical that that will happen. Have travelled this country a lot and paid my share of fees but have not seen too many positives. Like the $50 fee just to drive through a town, looks just like any other town, our taxes have paid for the entire infrastructure, but no we had to pay $50 for nothing. (And that very night a group had a nice little riot and guess who had to pay for the repairs to the town, yes the tax payer.)
The fees are also just to sail the waters and I thought no one can own below the tide mark? I may be wrong. The tour operators we spoke to were happy to pay to go into sites and when we did the cruise we would have loved a local aboriginal person to meet us and explained to us the art etc. In fact it would have been brilliant. But the operators and I am talking about the smaller operators who are passionate about the Kimberley, just wanted to believe that the money was not going to be wasted. But as stated, they own the land and waters so go for it, charge what they want. Sorry to sound like this but I just hate the waste and the sadness of it all. Kevin
