Guest author and outdoor guide Tristan Reid gives his take on how Victoria’s climbing bans fit into a much larger government push for “reconciliation” via Aboriginal corporations.This article is a good place to start if you don’t know the background behind the government push to move public land away from the public and into corporate control.
The latest blanket climbing bans under a “Recognition and Settlement Agreement” (RSA), shows the long march through the institutions is reaching its culmination. All public land access is at threat.
Today was big – and for once some happy news (unless you work for the Victorian Labor government)
ACAV & MP David Limbrick succeed in a “Production of Documents” motion in Vic Parliament that forces the Labor Allan government to release all documents associated with the Grampians and Arapiles climbing bans. We can’t wait to get our hands on this stuff. They have 8 weeks to deliver.
Parks Victoria CEO Matthew Jackson “departs” his position under the orders of the Vic Government (shut the door on the way out mate) – this guy has been in charge of PV throughout the last 5+ years and has been instrumental in the destruction of climbing and the community’s faith in government consultation.
The Labor Allan government announces a full independent review into Parks Victoria including a “focus on Parks Victoria’s priorities, the delivery of its objectives under the Parks Victoria Act 2018, the organisation’s administration, finances, functions and delivery model – to identify ways the organisation reduce red-tape, improve customer service, and deliver better outcomes for Victorians” (why do we hear champagne corks popping?)
Labor Minister for the Environment Steve Dimopoulos appears to have pivoted away from his hard-line stance against climbers after intense media and community pressure. He now talks up the benefits of outdoor recreation etc etc. Read the press release here. It’s almost like banning people from public land isn’t a vote winner? Who would have thought.
New PV temporary CEO Graeme “Gus” Dear appears to have been hired to give more recreational credibility to Parks Victoria (he fishes!)
No mention of Cultural Heritage protection in this latest announcement.
Parks Victoria funding cut by $95 million and advises 100 staff cuts by the beginning of new year. Victorian National Parks Association issues press release about their concerns here.
“The Arapiles Declaration” – Federal Coalition and independent senators & MPs sign an important document that gives unwavering support to the rock climbing community against the climbing bans on last day of Parliament for the year. This has become a hot button political issue – and with an election due as early as March we can expect they will run with this issue.
SGC gets hold of an important document from 1992. We’d like to show the inside to you but we are likely prohibited from doing so. We might show you some little bits…
Big news day
John Ferguson from The Australian was among the first to break the news (we’re just showing part of the text):
“The amended plan is not fit for use. It contains large sections from the previous plan published in 1991 (33 years ago), which are now rendered irrelevant, obsolete, misleading and confusing.’’
In 2019, the Victorian government began gutting climbing in the area, first with the Grampians National Park, which contains significant rock art cultural heritage.
But Parks Victoria used false, misleading or unverifiable evidence to claim harm was committed by rock climbers, including the incorrect claim that rock art had been damaged by a bolt inserted by climbers. Parks Victoria was contacted for comment.
Cultural heritage is collated on a database called the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Register and Information System (ACHRIS) and is the online portal of the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register.
While there are restrictions on access, a wide group of people are still able to see where heritage has been pinpointed.
David Limbrick’s motion to get the key documents relating to the Grampians and Arapiles bans.
Read hansard below which features some great supportive speeches from Victorian state parliamentarians
Parks Victoria CEO Matthew Jackson gets the boot
We are sure he got a nice little financial incentive to walk away. Pity about the 100 or so other staff that are getting the sack in the New Year.
Minister for Environment announcement about full Parks Victoria review
The Arapiles Declaration – a Coalition policy pledge supporting climbers access to public land
A group of Coalition politicians, spearheaded by Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster, released a motion to Federal parliament yesterday entitled “The Arapiles Declaration” which spells out their policy makers pledge on the issue. These are guiding principles for potential changes required at a legislative level to protect current public access to public land. It’s a good start and its worth knowing that there is a high chance that this side of politics will be in power within 6 months if polling is to be believed. They were guided by the many wonderful and heartfelt letters the climbing community has been sending them. Please keep writing those letters!
The motion reads in full:
We the undersigned declare that:
1. Australia’s natural wonders are for the marvel and enjoyment of all Australians,
2. Parks Victoria’s closure of rock-climbing options at Mount Arapiles (Djurrite) in the Grampians of western Victoria marks a line-in-the-sand moment for our nation, after closures of Mount Warning (Wollumbin) in New South Wales, Ayers Rock (Uluru) in the Northern Territory and restrictions on access to Lake Eyre (Kati Thanda) in South Australia, to name a few
3. Australians comprehensively rejected creating racial division in our community at the 2023 national referendum,
4. As policy makers we pledge:
a. To ensure all stakeholders are properly and genuinely consulted on the potential closure of public access to land or waters on cultural heritage grounds,
b. That closing public access to land or waters on cultural heritage grounds is only to be used in the most exceptional circumstances,
c. That conserving cultural heritage always starts from the first principle of retaining public access and managing interactions with the land or waters to prevent or minimise adverse impacts on cultural heritage,
d. That all claims used to justify restriction or closure of public access to land or waters on cultural heritage grounds is independently, transparently, forensically and respectfully examined for factual accuracy and veracity,
e. That the Australian public will be informed in the maximum detail of the cultural heritage grounds why restriction or closure of public access to land or waters is proposed or maintained,
f. To review all previous closures of public access to land or waters to ensure they comply with the foregoing commitments
g. That development on private land the subject of cultural heritage claims be able to proceed if conditions can be imposed using the foregoing processes to preserve verified cultural heritage,
h. That decisions on cultural matters are made in a timely fashion, with deadlines for Ministers and agencies to make determinations and assumptions that a failure to decide within a timeframe equates to a refusal,
i. That laws on cultural heritage will be uniform nationwide and not duplicated, thereby preventing inconsistencies, forum-shopping, lawfare and/or denial of natural justice
Federal senators support the rock climbing community
In related news to the above a delegation of climbers visited federal parliament on the last sitting day of the Senate for 2024. Lots of information was shared and support was plentiful from many senators.
Open letter published in The Age
On the same day as all the above happened – a combined “coalition” of climbing organizations published a full page open letter to the Victorian government in The Age newspaper. This is the open letter that many of you have already signed – and if you haven’t go here and sign it pronto!
Click to view the full size image to read the text.
Arapiles on A-Current-Affair: “The main attraction is the mountain, which soon you won’t be able to climb”.
If you missed this, it’s worth watching. You can see the past episode on their Facebook page. Sorry, we’re not able to embed the Video – or you can go find it on 9-Now. It aired on Tues Nov 26th.
Save Grampians Climbing 