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. ...

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...

Mt Warning closure - 4 years of lies and misinformation

Mt Warning closure - 4 years of lies and misinformation March 30 (Easter Saturday) marks the 4-year anniversary of the "temporary" closure of the Mt Warning summit track. Some thoughts and rambled musings below. I spoke with Ben Fordham about the anniversary on the Ben Fordham Breakfast show on 2GB. Ben's response a classic: "If you want to climb, just climb it!" Link to that interview HERE . 4 year anniversary of bureaucratic madness We know the exact date of the closure thanks to bushwalker: Tertia Starr Maynard, who posted a photo of a note left on her windscreen by NPWS rangers to the reopen Facebook page . It was dated and read “NPWS advises Wollumbin National Park is closing from today due to covid19. Gate is not locked but please close behind you as you exit. Thanks NPWS.” Photo by T Maynard - the last walkers out. In the 4 years since, after other parks were reopened, Mt Warning remained closed and the reason for the temporary closure morphed to in...

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