Right to Climb

Coming Next year: A Guide to Climbing Mt Warning. Let's hope it has a happy ending!

We have been reporting on NPWS deliberate misrepresentation of Aboriginal views and cultural stories about Mt Warning for some time. In an article in today's Daily Telegraph Ngarakbal Githabul elder Elizabeth Boyd ( daughter of Marlene Boyd ) confirms NPWS did not properly consult Aboriginal groups in preparing its Aboriginal Place Management Plan for the park, released by the Minister in October .  Daily Telegraph 25/11/2022 p.38 In the article Ms Boyd states: “The Ngarakbal Githabul women have not been included in any of the consultative process in regards to the management or closure of Mount Warning. The State Government’s administrative decision to permanently close Mount Warning not only contravenes my customary law rights and women’s rights and human rights – but also my cultural responsibilities to the Gulgan (a Ngarakbal Githabul word for pathway keeper) memorial.” NPWS have known about Ngarakbal Githabul claims since the late 1990s. The d eclaration of Aborigina...

Hon Mark Latham - Member of the NSW Legislative Council has asked NSW Environment Minister James Griffin some questions on notice about the closure of the Mt Warning National Park.  It's clear from those answers ( ed - what answers? ) that the NSW Liberals have lost the plot and have handed over government to a group of activist bureaucrats. Follow the link or read them below - "answers" in italics .  Open our Mountain! 9670 - Environment and Heritage - ABORIGINAL PLACEMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN Latham, Mark to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Regional Youth, and Minister for Tourism representing the Minister for Environment and Heritage (1) Will the Aboriginal Place Management Plan (APMP) for Mount Warning effectively prevent the public from accessing that region? (a) If not, can the Minister please provide the details of the APMP, specifically those details that impact on the public’s rights to enter the subject area? ANSWER (...

Way, way back on 19 July 2021 I submitted a complaint about NPWS management of the Mount Warning National Park to the NSW Ombudsman. To cut a long story short the Ombudsman's office replied on 14 October 2021 declining to investigate. On October 15, 2021 I requested this decision be reviewed. After more than 12 months I received the outcome of this review on November 8, 2022 (content below). After more than a year the Ombudsman has upheld the earlier decision and has declined to investigate my concerns. The muck to be left under the rug.  The saga raises serious concerns about the capacity the gatekeepers of our democracy have to investigate maladministration in public office. Based on my experience we have a bunch of toothless tigers too scared and frightened of upsetting the cart to do the work the public rely upon to ensure our bureaucracy is acting in accordance with the laws that govern them. It is clear this process is broken. The only avenue available now appears to be recou...

Andrew Bolt: moral grandstanding banning some races from loveliest parts of our land. Many Australians used to climb Mt Warning a year, but NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service says that’s now banned by citing superstitions as fact. https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/andrew-bolt/andrew-bolt-moral-grandstanding-banning-some-races-from-loveliest-parts-of-our-land/news-story/18a3cd5571cfd729ebd604f798855fe1

Comment piece by Mike O’Connor in today's Courier Mail asks the question: Are ‘culturally inappropriate’ bans reverse racism?