Group rallies in Murwillumbah in bid to reopen Wollumbin/Mount Warning in Tweed Shire
Tweed residents and some first nations people have weighed in on the controversial closure of Wollumbin/Mt Warning at a rally. WATCH THE VIDEO
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A sizeable crowd has braved the rain at Murwillumbah in an effort to reopen Wollumbin/Mt Warning in the Tweed, but not all were in agreement.
The rally organised by the Re-open Mt Warning Facebook group and Marc Hendrickx on Sunday comes as NSW National Parks states Wollumbin National Park will remain closed until at least February 28 “due to hazardous conditions and damage from flooding and storm events”.
But the Wollumbin Aboriginal Place Management plan recommends closure of the mountain.
The hike is popular among both locals and tourists, but Wollumbin is considered a sacred Aboriginal place to the Bundjalung and other indigenous people.
Wollumbin Consultative Group, which has been involved in the process, has not responded to inquiries.
The national park and the trek to the summit of the 1159 metre tall mountain attracted more than 100,000 visitors annually before its closure in 2020.
Mr Hendrickx said at the rally the closure of the mountain was “disgraceful”.
He called for an inquiry and a solution to reopen the mountain while respecting the first nations people.
“Like some bizarre Monty Python or Yes Prime Minister comedy sketch we will soon see a national park with no visitors,” he said.
“These clowns will probably laud this as the best park management in the world.”
Ngarakbal elder Elizabeth Boyd broke down in front of the rally as she shared what the mountain meant to her.
“I’m just a caretaker trying to look after my ancestors (and) my parents. It is so precious to me” she said.
Ms Boyd said she never got the opportunity to climb Mount Warning before the closure.
“They just went bull-headed, didn’t notify me and done everything their way, so I’m very upset” she said.
“It was my dream to climb Mount Warning for my 50th birthday”
“I would like the mountain to be open where everyone can share their experiences of Mount Warning”
But some indigenous people have highlighted concerns about the trails reopening.
Goodjinburra man Gudjingarn Williams said he worked on the mountain two years ago, rebuilding the trail, and noticed the mess left by climbers.
“We’re trying to have the mountain managed by the original tribes not by national parks” he said.
“We just need to understand that it is a sacred mountain to a lot of people especially the tribes across this continent”
“After a big storm every corner you came to and every side of the trail it was just littered with plastic bottles.
“A lot of people are so unprepared for this mountain they go half way … and don’t even know where they put their bottle”
Mr Williams said the desecration of the approximately three hour long sacred trail with human waste by climbers and tourists was disrespectful.
“It’s a hard place to hold on … do it properly maybe off the track like we used to behind the tree bury it like we used to,” he said.
“The people and community of this continent Australia need to come together with the original blood and just get over their differences … listen to the tribes.”
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