Bushwalking on existing paths does no damage!

Dear Minister (of Environment)

The "Guidelines for Developing Management Plans for Declared Aboriginal Places" developed by your department (attached) list the following recreational activities as damaging to an Aboriginal Place (P10-11): 

• bushwalking

• motorbike riding
• rock climbing
• four-wheel driving.

In providing management options for Mt Warning National Park, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) are proposing to ban bushwalkers access to the summit, and indeed the public from the entirety of the park on the grounds that bushwalking will damage the Aboriginal place declared at Mt Warning. This is abject nonsense, as on existing tracks and trails no damage is possible, especially if these tracks and trails are properly maintained. If these activities are banned at Mount Warning it will result in similar bans being imposed on other walking trails, and tracks in the state. 

The Minister should know the following facts and direct NPWS to reopen and maintain the current summit trail at Mount Warning and access to other areas of the park which have a long history of public access. NPWS have not demonstrated that bushwalking or rock climbing will damage the  Aboriginal Place declared at Mount Warning. I call on the Minister to direct relevant bureaucrats to remove Bushwalking and Rock climbing, motorbike riding and four wheel driving from the list of recreational activities that may damage an Aboriginal Place where these activities occur on long-established tracks and trails and crags. 

1. The traditional Aboriginal custodians the Ngarakwaal people have no issue with visitors using the summit trail at Mount Warning and have actively encouraged visitors to climb. "I do not oppose the public climbing of Mt Warning - how can the public experience the spiritual significance of this land if they do not climb the summit and witness creation!" Ngaraakwal Elder Marlene Boyd. Sadly despite being well aware of the views of the Ngaraakwal people NPWS have completely ignored them. 

2. The current walking track to the summit was constructed by volunteers and dates back to 1909 when the area was a designated State Recreational Reserve. The stone walls forming the switchbacks on the trail near the summit are outstanding local examples of stone masonry and deserve heritage protection. The National Park was officially declared in 1929 and is one of the oldest in Australia. At the opening ceremony in front of over 200 people who climbed the summit Hon FS Boyce NSW Attorney General dedicated the Park and the summit to the people of NSW declaring "So this gorgeous and beautiful spot is to be dedicated to the people forever."(https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/192173825/21662810). 

3. The track has been in existence for over 100 years! Until the late 1990s NPWS maintained the track to a reasonable standard, however since the late 1990s NPWS have let the track fall into disrepair. While it is still passable and of a standard similar to other walking tracks also neglected by NPWS (parts of the Great North Walk in your own electorate for instance) given the popularity of the trail and summit views the track deserves better care. The neglect shown by NPWS is tantamount to a slap in the face to the volunteers who toiled on its construction over 100 years ago. 

4. There has been no substantive damage to the mountain since the park was opened.  In 1975 the summit was filmed by the ABC's Bill Peach. It was a bare grassed area. Construction of the summit lookouts and summit circuit walk has resulted in the previously clear summit being covered by trees. Arguably the walk has actually improved conditions at the summit. 

5. According to NPWS, the summit was visited by over 100000 people a year bringing in a substantial revenue source to the local economy. Despite the high foot traffic over 100 years there has not been any substantive environmental damage to the park by bushwalkers and rock climbers. 

6. Risk. NPWS have grossly exaggerated the safety risks on the Mountain and have erroneously labelled the risks of some hazards as "Extreme", in contradiction to NPWS own risk assessment which puts the risk of hazards along the track as "Medium", similar to other similarly graded bushwalks in NSW, including the Great North Walk in your own electorate. 

 7. There is no evidence to indicate that Bushwalking or rock climbing have caused substantive environmental damage at Mount Warning.  

8. Bushwalking to the summit of Mount Warning along established trails and rock climbing should be encouraged at Mount Warning in keeping with the wishes of the Traditional Custodians. 

9. The bans on bushwalking and rock climbing proposed by NPWS are not defensible.