Right to Climb

  Mt Warning to reopen - THANKYOU! Speech at SOS meeting Mt Warning Hotel 25 January 2026 It’s nearly 6 years since this beloved mountain walk was closed.  The fight to have this magnificent mountain reopened has been a long one, fought on multiple fronts across the community. This closure should never have happened and I put the whole saga down to gross mismanagement by our National Parks and Wildlife Service. There should be mass sackings and a complete change in direction across the board.  We wait and see if there will be any repercussions for those responsible. Don’t hold your breath! Australia Day 2026 - celebrating the announcement and the day (Photo Andrew Flanagan) SOS meeting Mt Warning Hotel Jan 25 2026 (Photo Steven Gibbs)  Just before New Year  I got a text from Jeremy Pierceof the Courier Mail . “Have you heard the news?” he asked. “No”,  I responded. He texted  “I hope you’re sitting down.” “Am now”, I wrote. “They’re going to reopen the...

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...

Bungabbee State Forest is a small state forest between Casino and Lismore in northern NSW. Prior to these recent events from a recreational perspective, it was used by 4WD groups, trail and mountain bike riders, bushwalkers and campers. It was formerly also a working hardwood forest managed by the NSW Forestry Corporation. Small parts of the forest were flagged for logging as recently as late 2020 but these plans were blocked by conservationists.   Location of Bungabbee State Forest So this was a productive forest being well managed for the benefit of the whole community. Like many forests, a place of work and recreation. The forest is being handed over to the Wijdabal Native Title Body Corporate as part of a native title settlement (ILUA) negotiated by the previous state Liberal government. After the legal formalities are completed, likely early next year, it will become the private property of that group. There will be no community benefit and a loss of a community recreatio...

Report in The Australian by John Ferguson gives some hope that the anti-climb attitude of the divisive Victorian Socialist Labor government is changing. This is a large part due to the efforts of ACAV who have fought the bans from day 1. Simon Carter sums it up: “They have to declare the Grampians open to rock climbing again,’’ he said. “Otherwise it’s all talk.” Article text below: Parks Victoria drops blanket rock climbing bans as hope rises for consensus at sites John Ferguson 5:17PM October 17, 2025 For more than six years Australian rock climbers have been hanging upside down waiting for Parks Victoria to address its bungling of draconian access bans in two of the nation’s chief outdoor adventure destinations, Mt Arapiles and the Grampians. Now, for the first time, there are signs new Parks Victoria boss Lee Miezis has shelved the hardline approach of his predecessor and is clearing the way for climbing to be largely saved at Arapiles – also known as Dyurrite – and has dumped ...

  The Australian Climbing Association (NSW) (ACANSW)   has some dire news regarding access to climbing areas at  Mt Alexandra crag near Mittagon g. Seems the local Wingecarribee Shire Council (WSC), without consultation with any climbing organisation, has enacted closure of Mt Alexandra crag near Mittagong. This despite years of work by  ACANSW consulting with local custodians about access to these amazing climbing areas. Please write to the Hon Mark Banasiak MP (Shooters and Fishers Party NSW) who is chairing the NSW inquiry into public access to public lands in NSW and voice your objections.  His email: mark.banasiak@parliament.nsw.gov.au  Link to  ACANSW post...  https://www.acansw.org.au/index.cfm?module=news&pagemode=indiv&page_id=3122600 Even expensive gates put up blocking access on a public trail (below).  Enough of this nonsense - these places are for ALL to enjoy. What can you do in the meantime?  Call WSC as sugg...

Letter from Hon Andrew Powell MP, QLD Environment Minister regarding access to Glass House Summits and forthcoming review of park management plans.  Public submissions will be required to facilitate this by the Queensland National Parks service. Will post further when this review commences.

Back in May with some assistance from the Uki Historical Society I submitted a nomination for Heritage listing the Mt Warning Summit Track and Lookouts. An excerpt of the nomination appears in italics below.  While I have come to expect very little from our Governments awash as they are with wokeness, I did hold a slim hope that in this case, luck would favour the brave and perhaps for once, a decision would be made on a rational basis. Sadly, it's the usual outcome:  The minutes of the State Heritage Committee: Item 5E – Mt Warning Summit Track and Lookouts Resolution 2025-55 The State Heritage Register Committee: 1. Considers that Mount Warning Summit Track and Lookouts may be of State significance with reference to Aboriginal cultural values, but these values are appropriately protected by an existing Aboriginal Place. Aside from Aboriginal cultural values, the Mount Warning Summit Track and Lookouts may be of State significance for one criterion only. It is not a current p...

Following a debate on public access to public lands that arose out of the successful petition by Tony Crook ( the outsider side podcast ) the NSW Parliament has opened an inquiry into access restrictions on NSW public land. The terms of reference from the NSW parliament website outlined below. Submissions accepted until 1 August 2025. If you give a damn about public access in National Parks, State forests, Crown land etc then pease put in a submission. Terms of Reference: SELECT COMMITTEE ON ACCESS RESTRICTIONS TO PUBLIC LANDS AND WATERWAYS Inquiry into access restrictions to public lands and waterways  TERMS OF REFERENCE  1. That a select committee be established to inquire into and report on access restrictions to public lands and waterways, including but not limited to Aboriginal land, heritage sites, national parks, crown reserves, state forests, crown land, state conservation areas, wilderness areas, conservation areas, water catchment areas, marine parks and aquati...

Time travellers guide to forbidden places of awe and wonder At the invitation of the Victorian Branch of the English Speaking Union   and as part of National Heritage month I gave a presentation " Time travellers guide to forbidden places of awe and wonder in Australia"  at the ESU Victorian offices on May 2, 2025. The talk provided a historical, mythbusting perspective to recent closures of bushwalking and climbing sites in Australia, including the Grampians, Mount Arapiles, Ayers Rock and Mount Warning. The closure of public access to landscapes of awe and wonder in Australia has been wracked with controversy. Summit access at Ayers Rock and Mount Warning has been banned without due acknowledgement of the wonderful history of climbing at both locations. This approach is also apparent in the bans on rock climbing at the Grampians and Mount Arapiles in western Victoria. In line with the heritage month theme of "unearthed" history the presentation provided evidence f...