Proposal to ban tourists from climbing Uluru 'dropped'

TOURISTS might be allowed to keep climbing Uluru after all with the controversial ban appearing to have been dropped.

TOURISTS might be allowed to keep climbing Uluru after all.

A controversial Federal Government plan to close the climb appears to have been dropped.

About 100,000 make the pilgrimage up the World Heritage-listed rock each year.

National Parks wanted to close the climb to respect the indigenous owners and for safety reasons.

There were also concerns about visitors using the rock as a toilet and leaving rubbish.

Now Peter Cochrane, director of National Parks, has told a Senate estimates hearing the plan to close the climb has been "revised".

Mr Cochrane would not reveal what the change was, but said he had paid close attention to complaints by the tourism industry about the impact on them if the climb was closed.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who came out and opposed the plan to close the climb earlier this year, appears to have made his mark too.

"The board noted that those comments were made," Mr Cochrane said of Mr Rudd's intervention.

Liberal senator Simon Birmingham, who led the questioning in the hearing, welcomed the step-down on the rock climb.

"It seems madness that we would shut down one of our own premier experiences," Senator Birmingham said.

The board expects to finalise its recommendation and pass it on to Environment Minister Peter Garrett for approval by the end of this year.

Mr Cochrane said more consultation would take place with the indigenous owners before then and more changes could be made to the draft recommendation.

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