Mt Beerwah under threat of closure

With the death knell rattling louding at Mt Warning in NSW, across the border Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service have shut the gate "temporarily" (ed - where have we heard that before?) at Mt Beerwah in the Glasshouse Mountains. Mt Beerwah is one of the most spectacular and challenging walks on the east coast and frequented by 10,000s of visitors each year.

By Bidgee - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9812428

Last week some idiot(s), highly improbable it was a bushwalker or a Christian, clumsily carved the words 'Jesus Saves Just Ask Him" into the rock face with an angle grinder low down on the mountain.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service today announced the Mountain would be closed for "cultural Healing".

It's frustrating that QPWS have not attempted to speak with the climbing and bushwalking community who are outraged at this act of wanton vandalism before closing the mountain to visitors. There would have been plenty of scope to leave access open while the carved rock is repaired. One would think QLD police will leave no stone unturned and follow every lead in finding the idiot(s) responsible.

It is sad (but no surpise) in this day and age that governments are using weird animist religious beliefs in determining access on wonderful but inanimate objects.

The following from the Courier Mail:

Mt Beerwah has been closed for cultural healing, after park rangers expressed outrage over an “appalling” carving of a religious message into the Sunshine Coast hinterland mountain. Last week, park rangers were on the hunt for environmental vandals who gouged “Jesus saves” into the base of the popular peak in the Glass House Mountains National Park.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service senior ranger Nat Smith said the vandalism on the section of rock occurred on May 20 or 21.The Mt Beerwah section of the national park is now closed, according to the Queensland Parks website.

The website stated the closure would allow for cultural healing and reparations following the vandalism as Mt Beerwah was of high cultural significance to the Jinibara people, the traditional owners of the land. The closure would be in place until further notice and, according to the website, would stay in place until July 9. Last week, Mr Smith said rangers believed the act of vandalism was done at night.

“The mountain is an iconic feature of the Sunshine Coast and extremely important to the Jinibara People, the local traditional owners, and to the people of Queensland,” Mr Smith said.“To have it defaced like this is appalling and QPWS will work with the Jinibara People to minimise the long-term visual damage.”Mr Smith said the QPWS wanted public assistance in identifying those involved. “This vandalism is deliberate and destructive, and someone in the community will know who did it,” he said.

The park ranger said the act was an offence under the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003, with penalties of more than $143,000 for individuals. Mr Smith it was also an offence under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 and carried a maximum penalty of more than $431,000 or two years’ imprisonment. “In addition, the person or persons responsible could be liable for the cost of rehabilitating the site, which may cost tens of thousands of dollars,” he said. Mr Smith said anyone with information should contact the department.

The latest act comes after calls to close the mountain to climbers and hikers began last month following a spate of tragic incidents including the death of Currimundi woman Breanna Foley. Jinibara culture man BJ Murphy was calling in April for the Mt Beerwah summit climb to permanently close and he started a protest at the mountain base.