Bans likely to expand

Some renewed media interest in access bans at National Parks and Climbing areas following reports that climbers at the Grampians are facing covert surveillance by Park Officials leading to Stasi like behavouir from the Orwellian "Victoria’s First Peoples — State Relations Unit". The potential fines for being in the wrong place are up to $346,000, but with very poor signage how would you know?

This mirrors the behavior of NPWS Park Officials chasing down walkers at Mt Warning and issuing notices to attend meetings or provide information that may incriminate them. Four protesters who climbed on Australia Day with permission of Ngarakwal women are in legal limbo as NPWS delay taking any action on information they were forced to provide. Given these are summary offences it's likely the statute of limitation has run out and NPWS have missed their opportunity to issue fines. Wait and see. Sad to see the public sector playing lawfare with citizens' lives.

Mike Tomkins (ACAV) explains the situation at the Grampians in this 10 minute interview on ABC Radio Ballarat with presenter, Steve Martin. Segment starts at 2hrs 21mins. LINK

UPDATE: More powers sought to enter properties! LINK (sub required)

Indigenous cultural investigators should be free to enter private properties such as farms and houses in Victoria without the owner’s or renter’s permission, under reforms sought by the peak First Nations heritage body.

The Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council warned in a pre-election legislative review that staff investigating alleged cultural heritage breaches had too little power to properly determine what has happened.

The council said the law should be toughened so that officers can enter land or premises without the consent of the occupier, which would also mean investigators could walk on to farms or other land if the owner was away.

I had a brief interview with Andrew Bolt last night that touched on further bans likely to come if State Governments continue to promote and support what are essentially bizarre religious views of Aboriginal activists. Link HERE.

My book A Guide to Climbing Mt Warning: the fight for awe and wonder, will be out soon. Available from Connor Court.

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Mount Warning: Aboriginal claims about summit climb are contested

"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 RIP NSW NPWS have the following description about Aboriginal attitudes to people climbing to the summit of Mt Warning on their webpage about the walking track: Wollumbin, which means ‘cloud catcher’ to some Aboriginal People, is a traditional place of cultural law, initiation and spiritual education for the people of the Bundjalung Nation. Under Bundjalung law, only certain people can climb the summit. Out of respect for their law and culture, consider not climbing the summit. These claims, including the very name applied to the mountain, are contested and it seems there is another story that NSW NPWS have not properly acknowledged and have long kept from public attention. We came across this article from the Daily News February 24 2007 about Ngaraakwal Elder Marlene Boyd that makes for interesting reading. It seems

Mt Warning - Summit signing, time capsule

A Mt Warning Visit, summit signing Drove up the long road from Sydney, leaving early to grab a beer at the Mt Warning Hotel at Uki in the afternoon. There's a nice view of the summit from the smoker's deck. The tip of the mountain was catching clouds and then letting them go. I met Roger, a one-legged ex- navy seal and former security guard to Gloria Estafan. He was an interesting bloke, sucking a large Cuban cigar and slamming spiced rum on ice. He had one eye, apparently, he had lost the other blue pearl in a firefight with Somali terrorists in the Persian Gulf. We had a brief discussion of current affairs and the insanity of public parks being closed for no good reason, and vandalism of the tourism industry by a woke broken Bureaucracy - just light conversation. I mentioned I had a mission that might suit him and he agreed to join in. We headed to the Mt Warning Rainforest Caravan Park. Mt Warning from the Mt Warning Hotel Roads around the area are still not repaired from la

17th death on the Rock

17th death on the Rock ABC report that a 76 year old Japanese man collapsed on the steep part of the climb and despite first aid, was not able to be revived. The elderly Japanese man likely died as a result of heart complications, probably brought on by existing (perhaps unknown) medical conditions and over exerting himself. He appears to have died revelling in the opportunity life provides. RIP Brother of the Rock. Our thoughts with his family and the first attenders who did their best to treat him. It's sad, but life goes on, and so should the climb. His death marks the 17th death ON the Rock since 26 May 1962 when 16 year old school boy Brian Strieff, on a school excursion with Carey Grammar, wondered off the main path in heavy fog on the way down and fell to his death. ABC's report indicate it is the 37th death, but these figures from Parks Australia have not been substantiated. It seems that many of the deaths Parks Australia claim to have occurred ON the Rock occurr

Right to Climb

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