Frustration grows in wait for decision on Mount Warning summit trail access

Future access to Mt Warning/Wollumbin for climbers remains up in the air after a fiery debate in NSW parliament, amid a push to shut the summit track permanently despite a 10,000-strong petition.

The future of Mount Warning/Wollumbin remains up in the air after a fiery debate in parliament.

The tourist mecca just south of the Gold Coast has been off-limits to visitors since 2020, firstly due to Covid-19 social distancing guidelines, but the “temporary” closure of the track to the world-famous summit has since been repeatedly extended due to safety and Indigenous cultural concerns, sparking fears it would become “the next Uluru”.

The mysterious Wollumbin Consultative Committee, which has been involved in discussions over the National Park site for decades, has also recommended the closure be made permanent, with access to be restricted to local clan members.

A fence now greets visitors at the base of the mountain summit trail while security guards and metal barriers have also been stationed in the car park to prevent visitors accessing the site, which is of cultural significance to local Indigenous people.

A petition to reopen the trail to the summit, which is the first place in Australia to catch the morning sun, gathered more than 10,000 signatures, with the evocative issue being debated in the upper house of the NSW parliament on Thursday.

Mt Warning has long been a magnet for hikers and climbers. File picture: Natalie Grono

John Ruddick of the Libertarian Party sponsored the petition and called for the trail to be reopened as soon as possible.

“National parks belong to all Australians,” he said.

“The public have been denied a voice.

“We should not have laws that treat people differently based on their ancestry.”

NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said it was a complex issue which would not be resolved overnight.

“It is going to take more time to resolve – this decision can’t be made hastily,” she said.

“We have to have these conversations and continue to engage.”

However, Mr Ruddick said the lack of a clear outcome to the debate only added to his frustration and to that of advocates for reopening the climb – some of whom travelled hundreds of kilometres to be present in NSW parliament for the debate.

“I fear that this is just going to go on and on,” he said.

NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

Long-time climbing advocate Marc Hendrickx was also frustrated at the lack of progress on the trail’s fate.

“Sadly today Minister Penny Sharpe kicked the issue down the road and missed a golden opportunity to stand up for liberal, democratic values,” he said.

“The continued closure of Mt Warning is doing mounting harm to the local economy and physical and mental health of those impacted by the closure.”

He said “the fight to reopen Mt Warning will go on” and called on hikers to defy the closures.

“We will not stand to have our mountain closed any longer,” he said.

“I call on all supporters to take the initiative and walk to the summit in defiance of an irrational, heartless and unjustified decision.”