Visitors still walking on Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre months after foot traffic ban

Australia Broadcast Center

21-06-2025

Visitors to Australia's largest salt lake are continuing to walk on the lake-bed months after new rules came into effect that limited recreational access.
The usually-dry Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre is flooding in what some locals expect to be the most substantial fill in decades.
It is also the first fill since a new management plan was adopted, which bans visitors from walking on the lake-bed and reinforces restrictions on driving and boating on the lake.
ABC News visited Halligan Bay Campground on Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre's south-western shore and witnessed several groups of visitors walking on the lake.
The ABC did not see any signage advising visitors of the changed rules.
An old sign that directed visitors to walk within 100 metres of the lake shore had been blacked out with tape by a local.
A spokesperson for the Department For Environment and Water said signage would be installed at the site soon.
"New visitor infrastructure, including interpretive signage, will soon be installed at locations such as the Halligan Bay Point Campground to ensure visitors are aware of new restrictions to accessing the lake bed," the spokesperson said.
"Due to National Parks and Wildlife Service staff resources being required to assist the flood response at Innamincka and the re-opening of Witjira National Park, temporary signage advising visitors of the new restrictions has not been able to be installed to date."
Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre was declared a national park in 1985 — a development that ensured the site was subject to various protections under South Australian law.
According to the SA government, recreational activities "including swimming, driving off designated tracks, boating and landing aircraft" were restricted as a result of the national park declaration.
Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre is a sacred site for the Arabana people, who were granted native title over land covering most of the lake in 2012.
The Arabana people co-manage the Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park with the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
"Lake Eyre or Kati Thanda is our home," Arabana Aboriginal Corporation director Colleen Raven Strangways said.
"This is where my ancestors walked for over 65,000 years, this is where my ancestors lived, camped, had families.
According to the current management plan for the national park, the 2012 native title determination gave "Arabana people certainty, and a major influence on what happens on their land".
"Native title rights enable Arabana people to hunt and camp on their lands. They also have the right to negotiate with companies regarding any mining activities on their Country," the plan states.
"It gives legal acknowledgement of what they have always known: this is Arabana Country."
Arabana say their ancestors and spiritual beings live on the lake and it is where they get their law and spiritual learnings from.
They wanted to limit foot and vehicle traffic to protect the lake-bed and surrounding ecosystem.
"We don't want boating on there, we don't want people walking on there because when you walk on that lake, it stays there until the next big flood," Ms Strangways said.
"It stays there, it doesn't go away … the ecosystem is so fragile and so important to the health of that lake and to the health of its people, my people, the Arabana people.
"We want you to come, enjoy it, but show respect."
National Parks and Wildlife district ranger, Travis Gotch, said restricting boating on the lake during floods will also protect wildlife.
"We've got a number of birds obviously breeding on the islands, they're there because they don't want to be disturbed," Mr Gotch said.
"You've got birds that are flying all the way from Siberia to undertake a major breeding event that are listed as endangered globally … they don't want to be being bothered and we're trying to keep that sustained for them and protected as well."
Additionally, the Arabana and National Parks and Wildlife Service say walking, driving and boating on the lake is a safety issue.
The vast size of the lake-bed and lack of mobile coverage means once visitors lose sight of land, there is no way to orient themselves.
"It's a safety issue and we're responsible as Arabana people, we are responsible for you when you're on our country," Ms Strangways said.
Lake Eyre Yacht Club members sail on usually-dry rivers and lakes in the outback during rare moments they are flooded with water.
The club's commodore Bob Backway has been an outspoken critic of limiting walking and boating activities on Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre.
Mr Backway says members adhere to rules to protect the wildlife and environment.
"Lake Eyre is a sacred spot for all Australians, it's a very big bird breeding ground, we don't want it to be environmentally destroyed," he said.
The Arabana Aboriginal Corporation says they want people to visit Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, but to do so in a mindful way.
"We're not stopping people from coming, we invite people to come, we want you to," Ms Strangways said.
"We want people to enjoy it just as much as us, however, we are asking people not to go onto the lake.
Mr Backway would not be drawn on whether the yacht club had plans to sail on the lake once floodwaters had reached an appropriate level.
He did question the ability of National Parks and Wildlife Service to police the restrictions on the lake-bed.
"I can't imagine a ranger walking onto the beach at Halligan Point and ordering 100 people off a beach," Mr Backway said.
Mr Gotch said the service would be monitoring activity on the lake ahead of the fill.
"There are expiations for people on the lake, for boating on the lake, and where people are caught, it will be enforced and there's further penalties as well for further non-compliance," he said.