Skip to main content

The ban is not sustainable: Speaking with Ben Fordham 2GB

Thanks to Ben Fordham at 2GB for having me on his wonderful radio show again. I spoke with Ben live from the Bankstown Sports Club on Friday 9 August, 2019.
Marc Hendrickx, Ben Fordham and that book- A Guide to Climbing Ayers Rock!

Ben raised some important points regarding the impacts of the ban on the local community and the prospect of the ban being overturned in the near future and wiser heads prevailing.

Ben ... I've got a feeling the ban will come into place for a few years, they'll see the impact on tourism in the area and job opportunities and someone will say this is ridiculous, let's open up the Climb again.

Marc ... I think that's the way it's going to go long term. I can't see that the ban is going to be sustainable decades into the future. In 100 years time are we still going the have a ban on climbing that wonderful monument in the centre of our country?

A podcast of the interview available via SoundCloud (HERE) and the complete show from 2GB (HERE).

Thanks again to Ben and 2GB for giving this important issue air time... Much appreciated.

You can purchase A guide to climbing Ayers Rock via the publisher, or via amazon.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

BOMBSHELL DOCUMENT LEAK - WCG MEETING MINUTES 2011-2024

 WCG MEETING MINUTES 2011-2024 We have been given access to minutes of meetings of the Wollumbin Consultative Group between 2011 and 2024. On the basis of the minutes it is clear the time for an independent public inquiry into management of Mt Warning National Park and the entire NSW Parks estate is long overdue.  Documents are made available as a matter of deep public interest in current management practices in our National Parks. What is happening at Mt Warning will be occurring in other Parks across NSW as NPWS continue to push for and develop handback and lease agreements of our public parks. In our view these plans are divisive: they prevent public involvement in managing public land, they will add considerable cost to managing our parks, and they will result in further irrational bans and limits on public access.  NPWS: "Custodians are looking at ways to progress handback at the June meeting. We envisage it will take 10-15 years for handback across the whole state."...

NSW NATIONAL PARKS HANDBACKS - PROCESS HAS STARTED

NSW NATIONAL PARKS HANDBACKS - PROCESS HAS STARTED:  Welcome to the new Apartheid   People also said that Aboriginal knowledge holders need to have a role in determining the appropriate activities that can be carried out on Country/in parks.  People called for equal or majority Aboriginal representation on any joint management governing body, with a view also put forward that the governing body should consist of Aboriginal people only. A view was also put forward that the land should be restored to how it was at the point of first contact – pre colonisation.  This view went to the extreme of saying Healthy Country means the removal all things that were not present in 1788, including all buildings, introduced species and other infrastructure. NPWS' busy bureaucrats are in process of negotiating handover of our National Parks to private interests. The plan will potentially see every National Park in the state handed over to as yet unknown Aboriginal groups then leased...

Mt Warning closure - 4 years of lies and misinformation

 Mt Warning closure - 4 years of lies and misinformation March 30 (Easter Saturday) marks the 4-year anniversary of the "temporary" closure of the Mt Warning summit track. Some thoughts and rambled musings below.  I spoke with Ben Fordham about the anniversary on the Ben Fordham Breakfast show on 2GB. Ben's response a classic:  "If you want to climb, just climb it!" Link to that interview HERE . 4 year anniversary of bureaucratic madness We know the exact date of the closure thanks to bushwalker: Tertia Starr Maynard, who posted a photo of a note left on her windscreen by NPWS rangers to the reopen Facebook page . It was dated and read “NPWS advises Wollumbin National Park is closing from today due to covid19. Gate is not locked but please close behind you as you exit. Thanks NPWS.” Photo by T Maynard - the last walkers out.  In the 4 years since, after other parks were reopened, Mt Warning remained closed and the reason for the temporary closure morphed to in...