Right to Climb

 Press coverage in today's The Australian Newspaper. NPWS have banned individuals from corresponding with them over the closure of Mt Warning, they have taken to issuing meaningless form letters in response to serious questions leaving them unanswered. They have never attempted any form of broad community consultation or consultation with local businesses affected by the closure. They even denied traditional custodians a working bee so they could access memorials left in the park. They are truly incompetent.  The absence of constructive dialogue with NPWS leaves little options left other than a mass trespass akin to the Mass Trespass of Kinder Scout.  Page 6 Page 12

Following the story below in the Australian reporting on rising authoritarianism and petty bureaucracy in Victoria's Parks we have been given a sneak preview of the Parks Victoria's new ranger uniforms. Wear them with pride guys and gals. New uniform for Parks Victoria  Daniel Andrews tightens screws with new ‘nanny-state’ rules in Victoria JOHN FERGUSON ASSOCIATE EDITOR Walkers and riders face heavy new fines for not using ­government-sanctioned trails in Victoria, while swimmers could be barred from using some waterways without a necessary permit. The planned new Andrews government regulations, affecting more than 50 city and regional parks, have been criticised as “nanny state” measures. They also allow for the wider imposition of fines for rock climbers and other adventurists who fail to adhere to strict controls over the way they pursue their sport. The draft regulations include fines for anyone who fills a chainsaw with oil and petrol on a soft surface such as grass and d...

Tradition belies excuses for the Uluru Climbing Ban Eric Löbbecke's wonderful cartoon a fitting abstract for my Opinion Piece published in The Australian Newspaper 3 May 2019. Text below. Tradition belies excuses for the Uluru Climbing Ban It’s about six months until the government agency Parks Australia locks the gate on one of the world’s most iconic experiences of the natural world – the Climb up Uluru-Ayers Rock. The ban on climbing will put an end to a 30,000 year old tradition and will endanger the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park’s World Heritage listing, as the awe-inspiring summit views listed in the 1987 nomination will no longer be accessible. The ban is possible thanks to a decade’s long campaign by Parks Australia, which handles the commonwealth’s national parks, to simplify management of the Park and reduce its risks. This has involved locking visitors out of many places that were previously open, maligning the Climb and ignoring its rich history. Tens of thousan...

Climbing Ayers Rock gets featured in today's Australian... Claims in this article by Sammy Wilson current Chairman of the UKNP that his grandfather Paddy Uluru was intimidated by former NT Ranger Derek are a load of nonsense and an insult to both men. If you read through Roff's account of his time at Uluru between 1968 and 1985 available through the NT Oral History unit, it clearly shows the two held great respect for each other. Roff was pivotal in closing off public access to the men's initiation cave at Paddy's insistence, and for facilitating the return of Aboriginal people to the their traditional lands and was entrusted with Aboriginal sacred artefacts. The cave was much more important to Anangu men than the Climb. Paddy said of the climb "the physical act of climbing was of no cultural interest". He was not the only elder to say so. Tiger Tjalkalyirri was one of the great entertainers at the Rock for many years, he acted as a climbing guide to touri...

You wouldn't think the issue of religious inference with bushwalking would arise in the 21st century in our supposedly secular society. If you believe access to our natural heritage should not be restricted due to religious beliefs let your local member know how you feel. This article by Luke Griffiths from The Australian outlining what bushwalkers now face well worth the subscription price. Tourism concerns if sacred mountain sites declared off limits There are growing fears among tourists and business owners that at least two of Australia’s most spectacular mountain walks will be banned because they are sacred to indigenous groups. Sydney hiker Christie Davies at the summit of Mt Warning. Picture: Natalie Grono Read the rest HERE

My comment piece in The Australian today... Uluru should be open for all to share the experience The board of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park has announced it will close the climb up Ayers Rock in October 2019. This may be the death of the national park as if you haven’t climbed it, you haven’t ­really visited it; and if you can’t climb it, I don’t believe it is worth going. Phillip Adams wrote in  The Weekend Australian Magazine  that white Australians liked “clambering over it, seeming to confuse this sacred site with a Gold Coast-style theme park”, and welcomed the climb’s closure. But there are many reasons the climb might be kept open. It is an exhilarating, extremely satisfying physical and mental ­experience. I have climbed the rock twice, the first time in the company of the science director of the Mars Pathfinder mission, ­enjoying the camaraderie, exertion, spiritual and mental exhilaration, and the spectacular views from the summit. The climb leaves...