I asked Hon Mark Latham if he could ask some questions of the new Environment Minister Penny Sharpe about the costs of securtity at Mt Warning. The answer below. It turns out NPWS are forking over $7K per week for security at the carpark to prevent people from exercising their right to climb to the summit. The estimated costs of repair of the track and replacing the chain can be reasonable be estimated to be around $150000. Though Government procurement practises will probably push this up by a factor of 2 or 3 (there's efficency for you!). So since April NPWS have wasted the amount of money that could have been used to repair and reopen the summit track. A few years ago cars in the carpark at the base of the walk were routinely vandalised with tyres slashed and windows smashed yet NPWS did absolutley nothing about improving security of park patrons. Now they are employing guards to prevent patrons from climbing. Its clear from their actions who NPWS regard as the "real"...
Our mountains belong to all of us. The Right to Climb them and bask in their views that inspire awe and wonder is as old as the human genome. This long-established cultural tradition is under threat by a small group of bureaucrats determined to impose their way on the rest of the world. It is right to Climb because we have the Right to climb. If you don’t exercise your rights you lose them. Don't let petty nanny state bureaucrats take them away.