WA backs Horizontal Falls with $5m Indigenous tourism pivot

A landmark decision in Western Australia is set to reshape tourism at Garaan-ngaddim, or Horizontal Falls, with the state confirming tour access until 2028 alongside a $5 million investment to grow Traditional Owner led cultural experiences at the Kimberley icon.

From adventure hotspot to cultural landscape

Horizontal Falls, known by Dambimangari Traditional Owners as Garaan-ngaddim, has long been marketed as one of Western Australia’s most dramatic adventure attractions, with high-speed boats powering through the narrow gaps carved into the red Kimberley cliffs. Recent policy shifts now place the site at the centre of a broader cultural and environmental transition.

Publicly available information shows that the Western Australian Government has confirmed existing licensed operators will be able to continue traversing the wide gap at Horizontal Falls through to the end of the 2028 tourism season. The move provides a defined runway for the current style of tours while longer-term changes to on-water access and visitor experiences are developed.

The extension follows earlier indications that boating through the falls would be progressively curtailed to better protect cultural values and fragile marine environments. The new timetable signals that the high-adrenaline experience will remain part of the Kimberley tourism offering in the medium term, but increasingly alongside a different kind of encounter focused on Indigenous stories and perspectives.

For tour companies and local communities that rely on seasonal visitation, the 2028 horizon offers short-term certainty. At the same time, it sets a clear deadline for reimagining what a visit to Horizontal Falls looks and feels like once traversing the gaps is no longer the centrepiece.

$5 million to seed Traditional Owner led tourism

At the heart of the latest announcement is a $5 million allocation in the 2026–27 State Budget to support Traditional Owner led tourism at Garaan-ngaddim. Government statements and budget documents indicate the funding will be used to secure the long-term future of visitor experiences by shifting the focus toward Dambimangari designed cultural products.

The package includes funding for a detailed business case and feasibility study, alongside several million dollars earmarked for on-site infrastructure. Planning work is expected to map out what facilities are needed on the islands and surrounding coastal areas to host new forms of guided cultural tourism, such as shelters, walking trails, interpretive spaces and basic services.

According to published coverage, the initiative builds on a pilot program between the Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation and an established tour operator that has trialled Dambimangari guides on Country and tested early versions of cultural experiences. The new funding is framed as a way to move that pilot into a fully fledged product that can stand alongside, and ultimately succeed, the current boating model.

Budget references to Traditional Owner led tourism highlight a broader shift in Western Australia toward Aboriginal operated ventures, supported by initiatives such as the state’s Aboriginal tourism action plans and visitor economy strategies. Horizontal Falls is emerging as a flagship case study for this policy direction in the Kimberley.

Balancing cultural protection with visitor demand

The evolution of tourism at Horizontal Falls has been shaped by rising recognition of the site’s cultural significance to Dambimangari people, as well as intensifying debate over safety and environmental pressures. Reports over recent years have documented concerns about vessel movements through the tight rock formations and the cumulative impact of repeated high-speed transits.

Parliamentary papers and management reports describe an effort to strike a balance between respecting cultural values and maintaining a viable tourism economy. The staged approach, with recreational and some commercial access changing from 2025 while one major licensed operator continues until 2028, reflects an attempt to smooth the transition for the regional industry.

Tourism analyses cited in earlier debates suggested that an abrupt end to traversing tours could translate into significant job and revenue losses in the Kimberley. The new package effectively couples stricter cultural and environmental protections with targeted investment in replacement experiences, seeking to avoid a simple loss of visitation.

For travellers, this balance is likely to translate into a more regulated on-water environment and a greater emphasis on guided, small-group experiences that foreground cultural interpretation, rather than unrestricted thrill rides through the gaps.

What visitors can expect as Horizontal Falls evolves

While detailed designs are still subject to feasibility work, the direction of travel for Garaan-ngaddim is becoming clearer. Public documents point to an expanded role for Dambimangari guides and storytellers, with visitors encouraged to understand the falls as part of a living cultural landscape rather than solely as a natural spectacle.

Future tours are expected to place more weight on time spent on Country, connecting the tidal phenomenon to language, songlines and traditional knowledge of the surrounding sea and islands. Infrastructure funded through the $5 million allocation is anticipated to support activities such as guided walks, onshore cultural demonstrations and low-impact viewing of tidal flows from safe vantage points.

Industry observers note that this type of experience aligns closely with global trends in high-value cultural and regenerative tourism, where travellers seek immersive engagements with Indigenous custodians. For the Kimberley, the shift offers an opportunity to reposition Horizontal Falls as a benchmark for best-practice Aboriginal tourism while retaining its status as a must-see destination on the state’s remote northwest coast.

During the transition period to 2028, visitors are likely to encounter a hybrid model, with existing boat itineraries increasingly incorporating Dambimangari content and newly developed cultural components. Over time, those elements are set to move to the foreground as the physical act of traversing the gaps becomes less central to the story.

Significance for the wider Kimberley tourism economy

The recalibration of tourism at Garaan-ngaddim is being closely watched across the Kimberley, where many operators are seeking to deepen their cultural offerings while navigating environmental and heritage expectations. Horizontal Falls has long acted as a driver of visitation to the region, with itineraries for cruises, scenic flights and overland trips built around the chance to see the rare tidal phenomenon.

By locking in access to the wide gap through the 2028 season, the latest decision provides a planning window for tour companies, accommodation providers and transport operators that rely on the draw of the falls. At the same time, the pivot toward Traditional Owner led experiences sends a clear signal that future growth is expected to come from culturally rich, lower-impact products.

Tourism strategy documents indicate that Western Australia is looking to diversify beyond resource-driven economic cycles by investing in nature and culture based attractions. The Kimberley, with its global reputation and strong Aboriginal cultural presence, is seen as a natural focal point for that shift.

How successfully the $5 million Horizontal Falls initiative can convert an iconic adrenaline experience into a benchmark Indigenous tourism product will shape not only the future of Garaan-ngaddim, but also perceptions of Western Australia’s ability to blend cultural integrity with world-class travel experiences.