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Tourists & Workers

Tourists Workers Types of Permits
Access Roads Specific Areas Permit Application Form

If you are planning your own trip on Aboriginal land or going to work there, please read General Information, the Tourist & Workers and/or the Research & Media permit information, as well as this section, very carefully.

Strict conditions apply to the roads you can travel on, where you can visit and what you can do. Transit permits on private roads, whether you are a tourist, a visitor or travelling for work, do not allow for any deviation from the main route and no or minimal overnight stops are allowed.

Tourists

Tourism is a growing industry on Aboriginal land and many Aboriginal communities and organisations are developing tours and activities to help you enjoy and appreciate the landscape and environment.

However, while some communities have tourist facilities, many do not and, for these, you must be visiting someone in the community before you can apply for a permit to enter. It is not normal for a community to sponsor individuals by allowing them to stay in a community in order to gain experience of Aboriginal culture.

Tourism activities include:

The Barunga Festival is a must-see for tourists in the Top End

scenic and cultural tours, boat cruises, camping, sport fishing and safari hunting.

Entry fees apply for some destinations in the Top End such as visiting the Injaluk Art and Craft Centre at Gunbalanya and fishing at Sandy Creek.

Recreational anglers are enjoying unprecedented access to water in and around Aboriginal land. With the support of the Northern Land Council, agreements have been reached at Browns Creek, the Market Gardens on the Daly River and Sandy Creek and Wunyu Beach in north-west Arnhem Land.

It is important to state that you want to fish on Aboriginal land and booking in advance is advisable for some locations, as there is a limit on the number of vehicles permitted at any one time.

Further opportunities for recreational fishing are available through organised tour operations throughout Arnhem Land.

Workers

Work permits issued by the Northern Land Council are only for jobs in a specific area. If you wish to fish and camp at any time during the job, you must also have a permit.

	Government contractors:
	All Government contractors or sub-contractors need to fill out a permit application form, stating what Government department they are doing the contract for, along with a phone number for the department.
	Self-employed contractors:
	Self-employed contractors need to complete an application form for a permit and also supply a supporting letter from the contractor stating the following:
	- your company name, - what your company does, - your name and what you do.
	If a particular community has offered you a position, the Northern Land Council requires a letter from that community stating that you have the job and providing the name of the contact person you have dealt with in the community.

Types of Permits

	Transit: Allow 10 working days notice
	Visitor: Allow a minimum 10 days for a visitor permit. More time may be required depending on the number of areas to be visited and the number of people to be contacted for permission.
	Work: You should apply for this at the earliest stage possible, as it may require a more formal written agreement.

All these types of permits are applied for using the Work / Transit / Tourist permit application form.

Because of weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances, it is probably best not to apply for a transit or visitor permit too far in advance. TheNLC reserves the right not to approve a permit submitted more than 25 days in advance. Traditional owners may require that existing permits be cancelled at short notice for ceremonial reasons.

Access Roads

You need a transit permit to travel through the following areas in the Northern Land Council region:

	Arnhem Land
	Daly River Port Keats Land Trust Area
	Malak Malak Land Trust
	Upper Daly Land Trust
	Finniss River Land Trust
	Beswick Land Trust Area

We hope that you enjoy your experience on our land.

Permit Application Form

Application Forms are in PDF format.

Work / Transit / Tourist Application Form

See also: Tourism section in Doing Business on Aboriginal Land