- Parks Victoria seeks to pay Licensed Tour Operators (i.e. recreational climbing guides) to chop bolts in Grampians’ Millennium Caves. This potentially conflicts with strict WorkSafe laws
- Bolts are located in roof of cave, with high chance of worker hitting the ground if one bolt fails
- PV contractors have previously attempted to remove bolts, failed and left deathtraps for climbers
- Rope access experts alarmed at new proposal as it bypasses safe work practices and likely not covered by industry insurance
- Would likely involve placing at least 50 additional bolts into the cave
- No construction, trade or industrial rope access qualifications sought by PV
- PV to give angle grinders and drills to unqualified workers and expect them to safely operate in extremely dangerous environment.
- Chalk to not be removed, instead will be covered by “pigment”.
- PV and all 3 TOs to be in attendance to oversee this work for 2 weeks. Cost to taxpayer unknown.
- Membership of climbing organizations may exclude guides from work
- Controversial author of discredited anti climber academic paper, is behind this proposal
- Safer Cliffs Australia formally warned PV against interfering with critical safety bolts a year ago.
- This alarming proposal will be reported to WorkSafe Victoria in the next few days.
Tag Archives: Parks Victoria
Park Vic ranger’s harassment & intimidation of climbers – a personal story
Continue reading Park Vic ranger’s harassment & intimidation of climbers – a personal story“you do not have to do or say anything, but anything you may say or do may be given in evidence. Do you understand that?“
Not the words you expect to hear when going about a day’s climbing in the Grampians…
Parks Vic Responds to Climbers Concerns About Enforcement
Following up on the Labour Day Long Weekend, we have received an email from Parks Victoria answering several questions that many climbers have been asking. We hope this email puts to rest many of the wilder conspiracy theories thrown about in the last week. It is important reading.
Continue reading Parks Vic Responds to Climbers Concerns About Enforcement
Save Grampians Climbing 