Outcome:	1. Environment			Question No: 80
Division/Agency:	Parks Australia Division
Topic:	Counting visitors to Kakadu
Hansard Page ECITA:	62

Senator Crossin asked:
How much is that (the joint project with Charles Darwin University to stop the cars and survey people) costing?

Answer/s:
The question relates to the cost of calibrating visitor traffic counts in Kakadu National Park.

Each calibration survey in February and April 2005 cost $4,360.00 (including GST). Territory Asset Management Services Pty Ltd, not Charles Darwin University, carried out the calibration surveys.

Outcome:	1. Environment		Question No: 81 & 82
Sub Outcome:	[only if applicable]
Division/Agency:	Parks Australia Division
Topic:	Counting visitors to Kakadu
Hansard Page ECITA:	63

Senator Crossin asked: My information tells me that you stopped vehicles (for calibration of visitor traffic counts) for only two days in February and April (2005).

(Mr Cochrane, Director of National Parks advised that he would provide an accurate answer on the methodology as well as funding of the surveys.)

Answer/s:
Since the abolition of park entrance fees to Kakadu National Park in December 2004, a new vehicle counting system has been installed to estimate visitor numbers. New vehicle counting units (known as Metrocount MC 5700 data loggers) with permanent in-road traffic detectors are being used on the Kakadu and Arnhem Highways near the entrances to the park. The detectors have the capacity to record 12 individual vehicle categories, as well as vehicle speed and time of count. A temporary vehicle counter will also be used on the Old Darwin Road (an alternative park access route) when it is open to the public.

Quarterly calibration surveys are being carried out in 2005 and 2006 to calculate accurate conversion factors to be applied to the data from the vehicle counters thus providing an accurate estimate of visitor numbers (passengers in vehicles) to the park.

Calibration surveys are carried out on a weekday and a weekend day to provide a snapshot of business day traffic compared to weekend traffic. The February calibration survey was conducted from 7am to 7pm on 18 and 19 February 2005. The April the survey was conducted from 6am to 6pm on 15 and 16 April 2005, to cover early recreational fishing traffic.

The cost of each calibration survey in February and April 2005 was $4,360.00 (including GST). 

Outcome:	1. Environment			Question No: 83
Division/Agency:	Parks Australia Division
Topic:	Counting visitors to Kakadu
Hansard Page ECITA:	64

Senator Crossin asked:
Would that be the same method (calibration survey) you might use when you stop vehicles for only two days in February and April? Do you count a vehicle twice if they go in and out on the same day? How accurate is the infrared machine at the visitor centre compared to stopping people for four days?

Answer/s:
The methodology to estimate visitor numbers using vehicle counters was developed in association with Territory Asset Management Services Pty Ltd.

Vehicle counters on the Kakadu and Arnhem Highways record both inbound and outbound traffic to Kakadu but as separate sets of information. Only inbound traffic is stopped during calibration surveys and only the inbound counts are used to estimate visitor numbers. 

The Bowali Visitor Centre pedestrian counter (the infrared machine) is, by itself, not a reliable source of information for determining the overall number of visitors to Kakadu National Park.

Vehicle counts and conversion of traffic counts to visitor numbers, based on calibration surveys, will provide a more reliable source of information on park visitor numbers, including trends over time.

Outcome:	1. Environment			Question No: 84
Division/Agency:	Parks Australia
Topic:	ACT COAG Indigenous coordination trial
Hansard Page ECITA:	68-69

Senator Webber asked:
Can you give me some detail of the funds expended under the trial (COAG Indigenous coordination trial in the ACT) to date? I was also wondering whether there could be a breakdown of the expenditures by activity? Can you outline what concrete outcomes have been achieved since the shared responsibility agreement was signed in April last year? Have any interpreter services been used during the trial?

Answer/s:
Funding of $144, 000 for a community facilitator and an administrative assistance for the Indigenous Working Group has been provided under the ACT COAG Trial. However, the Department has funded several other activities from a variety of programmes and therefore cannot provide a clear breakdown against each activity. These activities include: a community workshop and the development and launch of a Shared Responsibility Agreement.

To date the ACT COAG Trial has focussed on identifying community priorities and examining existing Australian and ACT government expenditure on services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT. 

Concrete achievements include:
•	Holding a public forum where Indigenous community leaders identified key priorities under the ACT COAG Trial. Key priorities are:
•	social, spiritual, physical and emotional well-being; 
•	culture and learning; and
•	capacity building for all.
•	The signing of a Shared Responsibility Agreement that commits the community and the Australian and ACT governments to progress the key priorities. 
•	Establishing an Indigenous Working Group to advise government on the agreed priorities and raise awareness of the Trial within the local community.
•	The establishment of four working groups, convened by Indigenous community leaders and consisting of both governments’ officials and the Indigenous Working Group members. These working groups identified issues, gaps and complied information about Australian and ACT government services and programmes in relation to Shared Responsibility Agreement priority objectives – Justice, substance abuse, Education and Cultural Identity. 
•	A series of community awareness presentations have been conducted by the Indigenous Working Group.
•	Publication of a demographic profile of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in the ACT in 2004 “A Social Profile of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Canberra”. 

No interpreter services have been used in the Trial to date, as they have not been requested or required by either community or government partners. The ACT government has the capacity to provide interpreter services if requested.

Outcome:	1. Environment			Question No:  85
Division/Agency:	Parks Australia Division
Topic:	Parks Australia Budget
Hansard Page ECITA:	60

Senator Crossin asked:
Can you start by giving me a total amount in your budget for both Kakadu & Uluru for this coming year?  

What is the total amount that has been allocated to national parks in the Territory?  [Note: If final figures not available, please provide interim.] 

Mr Cochrane - I could on notice give you anticipated budgets for next year in somewhat more detail, but I prefer waiting until we have actually finalised them.

Answer/s:
The total amount of budget allocated to Kakadu National Park in 2005-2006 is $17.384m excluding capital.

The total amount of budget allocated to Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park in 2005-2006 is $12.676m excluding capital.

The total amount of 2005-2006 budget allocated to the Northern Territory (including Christmas and Cocos Island) is $36.003m. 

The total amount of the 2005-2006 capital budget allocated to the Northern Territory (including Christmas and Cocos Island) is $5.744m.