FOI BOMBSHELL: PERMANENT BAN ON MT WARNING 25 NOVEMBER 2022

I have had a batch of documents released via FOI/GIPA (see links below). Despite heavy-handed redactions, there are some incredible revelations! It is hard to believe what has been going on behind NPWS' locked doors. Mt Warning/Wollumbin National Park is one of our Nation's true natural jewels and it is being treated as a political football by bureaucrats and Aboriginal groups.

The documents show NPWS has misled the minister and public over safety risks in the park and the diversity of Aboriginal views about the summit walk. NPWS have indicated the closure would be reviewed in May, but if NPWS have their way the Park will NEVER open to the public again.

Image source

Key Revelations:

"Final Wollumbin Closure Event" is planned for 25 November 2022
A "deconstruction plan" points to removal of summit lookouts to be completed by 30 June 2022
NPWS have NO intention of re-opening the park to the public.
The closure affects the entire park - the public will be banned from the Summit trail and the much shorter Lyrebird Walk.
Public information released about the claimed safety risks has a critical error (or is it a deliberate attempt to mislead?). NPWS has confused risk for exposure! The claimed "extreme" and "catastrophic" risks are in error and these hazards are assigned a "medium" risk in NPWS' own safety assessment. For the hazards listed the risk is the same as other Grade 4-5 walks in the state.
A slope stability assessment completed by geotechnical professionals found risks to visitors from landslide and rockfall in the park were lower than traveling by train in Australia. (Their assessment conforms with my own that shows risk to individuals from rock falls and Landslides is on the order of 1 in a billion - this is a very low risk).
Consultations with Aboriginal groups have not included all groups or considered and paid respect to the diverse range of views, some of which encourage climbing. "how can the public experience the spiritual significance of this land if they do not climb the summit and witness creation!" - Ngaraakwal elder and Mount Warning custodian Marlene Boyd.
NPWS have their heads in the sand about the true community attitudes to the climb - see below.
Survey of public attitudes to climbing Mt Warning did not include the diverse range of Aboriginal opinions about climbing the summit including those of traditional custodians supportive of public access to the summit- see below.
NPWS are highly secretive in its planning about Mt Warning - Some documents were redacted in their entirety - see below. Are they so embarrassed about their secret plans that no one outside NPWS is allowed to know what they are up to? Running a Park in NSW should not be a State secret.
Detailed planning has been done to conceal the permanent closure of the park.
NPWS acknowledges that the summit walk is one of the best day walks in Australia and is a very popular walk with locals and visitors to the NSW North Coast, and that Visitation to Wollumbin National Park, and specifically the summit walk, is a significant contributor to the local economy.
There appear no plans to compensate businesses that are impacted by the closure.
NPWS acknowledges the exceptional scenic views are world renowned, yet will ban access to those views in 2022.
The Wollumbin Consultative Group, a group of Aboriginal stakeholders that NPWS exclusively deals with about Aboriginal issues in the park, omits the true custodians. It does however include groups from the Gold Coast! The Wollumbin Consultative Group is seeking custody of Wollumbin.
In November 2018 the Wollumbin Consultative Group developed a plan to close the park within 2 years.
The Minister has been informed of the closure.

Above: From NPWS timeline - Final Wollumbin Closure Event - 25/11/22 - nothing to cheer about.

Above: FOI documents show NPWS confuse Risk and exposure. Safety risks are similar to other Grade 4-5 walks in NSW.

Above - NPWS Notion of Freedom of Information - Since when was managing a recreational park a state secret?

Above - NPWS ignore high level of public support for the Mt Warning climb, and did not provide its survey respondents with the views of traditional custodians that are supportive of the public climbing Mt Warning.

The government must strip NPWS of management authority of the Mt Warning/Wollumbin National Park. NPWS are not acting in good faith in accordance with the ACT and have breached the public's trust. It is clear they have misled the Minister and public about safety and Aboriginal cultural attitudes and they have deliberately "demarketed" the park for decades. They should hang their heads in shame at what they have done to this outstanding natural attraction that is owned by all Australians. The government needs to appoint a park board made up of local stakeholders to return some common sense, truth and balance to park management.

All the documents I received may be accessed via the dropbox links below. Requests have been made for the NSW Information Officer to review the decision to refuse access to documents #3A, #5A-5E and #7.

Document No.

Page No.

Description of document

Date of document

Decision

Relevant sections of the Act

Email chain – National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS)

15.09.2020

Access granted in part

Cl 1(e) & 1(f)

Cl 5(b)

Cls 3(a) & 3(b) of the table of s 14