‘Hardworking Victorians should always have a means of disconnecting in the bush’: ORAG

A trade union backed lobby group wants to ensure ongoing access to the state’s parks for fishers, hunters, hikers and prospectors because hardworking Victorians have a right to “disconnecting in the bush”.

The trade union backed group that pressured the Labor government to keep duck hunting legal is now fighting for better access to Victoria’s parks and waterways.

It comes as the future of key outdoor sites for rock climbing and other outdoor activities are put under threat due to Aboriginal heritage investigations.

One year on from the creation of Outdoor Recreation Advocacy Group (ORAG), Electric Trades Union Victorian secretary Troy Gray said its ballooning membership of hundreds of thousands of rock climbers, gold prospectors, shooters, fishers and bush walkers were urging the government to rethink bans and closures on public land.

“Hardworking Victorians should always have a means of disconnecting in the bush; it is essential for their mental and physical health,” Mr Gray said.

Prospector Penelope Azar and rock climber Mike Tomkins say Victorians must have access to the great outdoors. Picture: Jason Edwards

The reminder to the state government comes as keen rock climbers await a decision by Parks Victoria on the future of iconic sites at Mt Arapiles, which have been closed for more than three years due to cultural heritage assessments.

President of the Australian Climbing Association Victoria Mike Tomkins said the “fine community of climbing people has lost its mojo” after being “vilified” by Parks Victoria

He called on the government to review closures and reopen the Grampians where up to 79 per cent of climbs are off limits.

Mr Gray said more needed to be done to protect the iconic rock climbing sites.

“Victorians shouldn’t be fined for climbing a cliff face,” he said.

“We can balance First Nations cultural heritage concerns while allowing Victorians to access land to do the things they enjoy on the weekends.”

Mike Tomkins and Penelope Azar. Picture: Jason Edwards

Keen gold prospector Penny Azar labelled the growing bans and closures of key sites “overreach and over-governance on a massive scale”.

“It will affect hundreds of thousands who enjoy these areas,” she said.

Recreational prospecting and fossicking is prohibited in dozens of streams and rivers across the state and in some national parks.

Ms Azar said the “heritage, culture and wellbeing” of miners and prospectors was “tied in with these vast tracts of public forests”.

“When I found my first nugget, I was the first to hold that piece of gold since its formation billions of years ago,” she said.

ORAG successfully fought against a push to ban recreational duck hunting last year, with 800 ETU members walking off the Metro Tunnel project in protest.

Mr Gray said in his 33-years representing electrical workers he had “never seen anything bring together such a wide range of people” as the campaign for better access to outdoor recreation.

Among the other members include Field and Game Australia, Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (Victoria) and the Australian Deer Association.

Mr Gray said he “looks forward” to working with the government to get a better outcome for rock climbers.

A government spokesperson said a new Great Outdoors Taskforce would “play a critical role in engaging widely with Victorians through a public consultation process to determine the best future management practices and use of over 1.8 million hectares of State forest – ensuring all options are considered as part of a comprehensive consultation process”.

Legilsation to establish the Wombat-Lerderderg National Park in central west Victoria will be introduced to parliament this year.

The spokesperson said detailed surveying and mapping to prepare park, including scoping out areas for prospecting, will be carried out over the coming months.