Right to Climb

 My piece on Quadrant online. Thanks to Adrian Hoffman, Alan Keen and Sturt Davies Boyd. for their clear message about the stupid wall at Mt Warning. Quadrant article...  Another Wall in Need of Felling Following a protest climb to the summit of Mt Warning on Australia Day 2024 by members of Save our Summits Australia, Reopen Mt Warning Facebook group and local Ngarakwal custodian Sturt Davies Boyd,  the libertarian John Ruddick MLC suggested a parliamentary petition with a view of generating enough signatures to trigger a debate on the access issue in the NSW Legislative Council. Labor’s upper house leader and environment minister, Penny Sharpe, agreed to a debate if 10,000 signatures of NSW residents supporting reopening were to be achieved by May 2, 2024.  Over the course of the next three months through a combination of promoting the petition on social media, countless kilometres devoted to dropping off about 30,000 flyers, community meetings, media interviews and a summit climb wi

HUGE thankyou to everyone who signed and special thankyou to those who went out of their way and helped promote our Reopen Mt Warning petition. We ended up with 10943 signatures. This met our goal, triggering a parliamentary debate and is an outstanding effort. We would have got a lot higher if 1000s affected living in SE QLD or interstate could have added their names. The misplaced agenda of some bushwalking and climbing groups who declined an opportunity to join us in helping save access to our wonderful mountain summit did not help, but we got the required numbers regardless. Let's hope they give a voice of thanks when the mountain is reopened (fingers crossed), and the mountains and bush tracks they frequent also remain open thanks to this fight. Look out for the debate in NSW Parliament next week, Thursday May 9 from 10:15am. Tune into the NSW parliamentary website via the link below if you can't make it in person. https://ponsw.events.corrivium.live/legislativecoun

  The Great Mt Warning Debate NSW Upper House - 9 May. Join John Ruddick in defending our right to access our natural wonders in our National Parks. Timing - debate in the NSW Upper House is now set for May 9. The mechanism for the debate (called a matter of public importance) is designed to override government business. The first allotment of government business on a sitting day is approximately 10 30 am but this can vary depending on other business occurring beforehand.  Parliament starts at 10 am and can be viewed via the link below, recommend you watch from about 10 15 am. ( I will repost the link on the day). https://ponsw.events. corrivium.live/ legislativecouncil I will be present and it would be good to have 5-10 other members present to support the debate. If you live in Sydney get in touch and we can meet outside Parliament house beforehand (6 Macquarie St Sydney NSW 2000). If you want to come down from the north - plan your visit now.  As the lead petitioner, I will get a me