On face value this announcement (Mt Warning to reopen) is good news but I'm waiting to see what conditions are attached. If it means people can walk up without paying as they used to then great, a small fee or the need to join a tour group then not so good/unacceptable.
The timeframe for reopening remains ridiculous - Mt Warning summit track could easily be reopened to tourists by Easter 2026. All that is required is a minor clean up of fallen trees that you can currently scamper over or walk around. The summit lookouts require some minor maintenance. The chain is not required and any move to replace it can wait (or it could be replaced/restored in that timeframe).
As reported by Jeremy Pierce in the Courier Mail:
Mt Warning shock: Summit trail to reopen after controversial closure
Courier Mail: Wollumbin/Mount Warning summit trail to reopen after years-long closure.
The controversial “temporary” five-year closure of the Wollumbin/Mount Warning trail is to be overturned, but there’s a catch (as expected).
There has been a shock call on one of the country’s top tourist trails which has been closed to the public for the past five years.
Wollumbin/Mount Warning in the Tweed Valley just south of the Queensland border was “temporarily closed” in the early months of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, but that closure has been extended numerous times in the years since, leading to fears it would become the next Uluru amid claims of cultural significance and sensitivities of local Indigenous people.
However, in a shock call on Monday, NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the trail would reopen – albeit not until July 2027.
However, it is still the first good news supporters of the trail – which attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors a year before its closure, have heard for years.
In a statement, Ms Sharp said extending the temporary closure would allow for a thorough resolution to issues with the trail before it is eventually reopened to the public.
“Over the past year, I continued constructive discussions with a wide range of stakeholders, including user groups, councils, the Wollumbin Consultative Group and other community members,” she said.
“These conversations highlighted Wollumbin’s significance to Aboriginal communities and the wider public.
“[I] understand extending the temporary closure will disappoint some visitors.
“However, a number of practical challenges – such as ensuring safe access – must still be addressed.
“The additional time will help us create a clear plan for the future of this special place, that respects cultural responsibilities and safeguards visitor safety.”
Save Our Summits founder Marc Hendrickx, who has lobbied the NSW government for years to reopen the trail, was cautiously optimistic about the news.
“We will need to see what conditions are attached,” he said.
“If people can visit the summit without having to pay exorbitant fees or be forced to join a tour then that’s great news.”
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