Gold Coast Hinterland community feud with Boonah’s Minto Crag rock climbers turns nasty

A dispute between a hinterland community and climbers who have been accused of altering rock faces and damaging vegetation on state land has turned nasty.

A DISPUTE between a hinterland community and climbers who have been accused of altering rock faces and damaging vegetation on state land has turned nasty.

The climbers’ national association has also been accused of calling locals illiterate, but it has dismissed that allegation.

Local landowners have been angered by the fixing of hooks and bolts into the cliffs, prompting a counter allegation from the climbing body that one landowner had also fixed “hardware’’ to the cliff on his own property, which was used for “commercial gain’’, but the Bulletin understands from a Fassifern Guardian report the “hardware’’ referred to a fence built by a farmer.

Rock climbers using Minto Crag, on state land outside of Boonah, have been in the sights of local residents in recent months since bolts and hooks were found secured to the cliff face.

Hinterland community, climbers feud heats up

A report published in the Fassifern Guardian about a meeting held by the Australian Climbing Association Queensland (ACAQ) added to the dispute, with a claim an unnamed member made derogatory comments suggesting only three locals could read.

But the ACAQ refuted the report, saying it was a misquotation.

“We have reviewed the recording of that meeting and what was actually said was ‘Let the three people that are going to read it in Boonah, read it in Boonah’,” an association spokesman said.

A land owner close to the site, which is described as “unallocated state land’’, told the Bulletin local residents remained concerned about the treatment of the site by individual climbers.

The man, who did not want to be identified, said he was aware of an instance in which a chainsaw was used by climbers to clear vegetation at the base of the cliffs.

“There are climbers who work to establish sport climbing the cliffs and by doing that they are adding infrastructure to the site since March,” he said.

“This means the rock face gets pulled apart and knocked down, hooks and items are drilled in at a vertical fashion so you have a whole bunch of stainless steel hanging off the cliff.

“There are a lot of plants that have been knocked down dead because they are in the way.”

A Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy spokesman said altering rock faces on state land without permission was prohibited.

A dispute between a hinterland community and climbers who have been accused of altering rock faces and damaging vegetation on state land has turned nasty.

“The department is actively working with police and is also assessing options to strengthen public safety at this site,” the spokesman said.

An ACAQ spokesman told the Bulletin the group promoted safe rock climbing practice and good environmental outcomes.

“In the case of the land parcel in question, we believe that it might have a higher environmental value than that accorded to unallocated state land,” the spokesman, Peter Martland, said.

“We therefore support, and are willing to facilitate, a change to tenure if deemed appropriate, and have undertaken to provide funding for a botanical survey within that land parcel in order to establish the level of protection it should be afforded.”

MORE NEWS

Gold Coast runners take on 70km trek from O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat to Currumbin beach in one day

Gold Coast coronavirus: New tourism campaign launches to plug $310m hole in economy

Dreamworld operator Ardent Leisure hit by shareholder class action linked to 2016 tragedy that claimed four lives

Rock climbers using Minto Crag, on state land outside of Boonah, have been in the sights of local residents in recent months since bolts and hooks were found secured to the cliff face.

The group did not direct individuals on where or how they should climb.

“ACAQ does not ‘push’ to establish rock climbing areas,” Mr Martland said.

“The ACAQ does not have a concern about the legality of climbing at Minto. Such recreational activities are clearly permitted on unallocated state land.”

But the ACAQ was seeking a ruling on the legality of placing safety hardware under the Act, as it claimed such a law would be “unnecessarily restrictive.”

“The ACAQ understands that one particular neighbouring landowner has taken issue with climbers fixing hardware for safety purposes (it is not used as a means of ascent),’’ he said.

“That particular individual also has fixed hardware on the section of (the same) cliff on his private property which he presently uses for commercial gain. We are not aware of any other complaints.”