Talks revive hopes for future of Mount Warning Wollumbin trail

Its closure ignited controversy around the country, but hikers have been offered a glimmer the popular Mount Warning Wollumbin summit trail will open to visitors again.

Hikers on the iconic Wollumbin summit could be accompanied by Indigenous tour guides in a last-ditch effort to keep the Mount Warning trail open to the public.

The track to the popular mountain top – the first place in Australia to catch the day’s sun, has been shut for almost three years in a succession of “temporary” closures citing Covid-compliance and later maintenance issues.

The fate of the trail – which attracts more than 100,000 visitors annually, was seemingly sealed in October with the release of a Wollumbin Aboriginal Place Management Plan which recommended the “immediate” closure of the area.

The future of Mount Warning Wollumbin remains uncertain. Picture: Josh Powell Fussell.

However, a meeting will be held on Thursday “to provide a forum for key stakeholders, including local government and the tourism industry, to provide input to future decisions regarding Wollumbin”.

It has left the door ajar for hopes some sort of compromise could allow visitors to return to the mountain, which has special significance for the Aboriginal people according to the Wollumbin Consultative Group which has recommended the area “should not be a recreational space for the public to visit or use for tourism”.

Tweed Mayor Chris Cherry, who will attend Thursday’s meeting, said she still held out a small hope that hikers could return to the much-loved attraction “in a respectful way”.

She said she would like to see group hikes led by Indigenous guides in a bid to properly manage the site and teach visitors about Aboriginal culture.

“My preferred outcome would be that the mountain could be shared with the wider community,” she said.

“I’m going into the meeting with an open mind.”

Tweed Shire Council Mayor Chris Cherry. Picture: Matt Roberts

She also proposed an “Uluru-style” transition period where people could visit the park again until a permanent closure if the Wollumbin Working Group would not reconsider a move to officially reopen the trail.

“It could be managed in a way that allows people time to visit again before the closure became permanent,” she said.

“It could be much like the way Uluru had that transition period (before climbing was banned).”

Member for Tweed Geoff Provest backed Cr Cherry’s suggestion for Indigenous guides to lead climbing groups on the mountain.

“I like the idea of charging people to go up there, having Indigenous rangers leading hikes,” he said.

“We’ve seen that elsewhere and this would be the perfect fit.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service said the organisation would “support the advisory committee and facilitate its engagement with Aboriginal custodians”.

However, it remained “a decision for the Aboriginal custodians whether or not to re-open the summit track”.

The Courier-Mail requested comment from representatives of the Wollumbin Consultative Group but did not receive a response before going to print.