Climbers demand fair deal from Parks Victoria over swingeing bans ruining the industry

The nation’s rock climbers have united to demand transparency, consultation and evidence-based policy from the Victorian government over bans at world famous Mount Arapiles.

Jeremy Frost climbing at Mount Arapiles. Picture: Jason Edwards

Climbing organisations across Australia have urged the Victorian government to provide transparency, consultation and evidence-based policy before ratifying the biggest bans that have affected the pursuit.

In rare uniformity, the country’s peak climbing groups have written to the Victorian government demanding an overhaul of the process used to gut mountain climbing at Mount Arapiles in the Wimmera.

Parks Victoria is backing the shutdown of climbing at half the iconic site without having properly consulted with climbers.

It has created a serious political problem for the Allan government because the row has bled into the broader issue of access to public land.

Nine climbing groups from NSW, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, Canberra, Tasmania and Canberra have sent a joint letter to Premier Jacinta Allan and Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos.

It says that evidence of climbing harm has not been provided to Victorian climbing representatives.

The Age at the weekend published a photograph of alleged harm at Arapiles but local First Nations elder Stuart Harradine, the Barengi Gadjin Land Council spirit officer, did not provide evidence that it was caused by a climber.

This is a familiar theme over the past five years as officials have alleged cultural harm without providing back-up evidence.

Mt Arapiles has been used by tens of thousands of schoolchildren for camps and has been visited by locals for 150 years.

Some of the worst graffiti harm in the Grampians National Park, which is more than 60km away by road at its closest point, occurred when early farmer-settlers found rock art.

There appears to be only a small amount of surviving rock art at Arapiles but the government has not provided evidence of exactly what has survived. Part of the reason is that much of the art is invisible to the naked eye.

The climbing groups’ letter reads: “Rock climbing at Arapiles/Dyurrite is a profound and life enhancing experience that has been embraced by generations of climbers.

“Parks Victoria propose to close half of the climbing areas and the majority of the climbing routes, including many of international renown.

“This has occurred without any engagement with recognised climbing stakeholders such as Climbing Victoria.

“Parks Victoria claim that they involved the Gariwerd Wimmera Reconciliation Network in formulation of the plan.

“This organisation has publicly stated that they have not provided input to Parks Victoria and that they are not a representative for the climbing community.

“Their sole role was to help the Barengi Gadjin Land Council in their understanding of climbing at Arapiles/Dyurrite.

“In the draft plan, open for public submissions for a mere 28 days, it is made clear that the areas marked as closures are not open to negotiation.

“This is not ‘consultation’ and the reasons for these closures are opaque.”

Legendary climber and author Kevin Lindorff said the bans being backed by the government were causing enormous upset among rock climbers. “The main thing is the consultation has been a bit of a sham,’’ he said.

The climbing groups said they supported protection of cultural heritage.

“Climbers do not dispute that Aboriginal cultural heritage and the environment need protection, but they do dispute that rock climbing results in harm – given appropriate management,’’ he said.”

The push by Parks Victoria to equate climbing with harm is a false dichotomy. There are many alternatives to closure that climbers could offer, but they have not been allowed to provide input.

“The natural environment at Arapiles/Dyurrite has been significantly restored over past decades, predominantly through the efforts of climbers,” the climbing groups say.

“In addition, climbers have been instrumental in reporting and instituting protection of areas of cultural heritage and ecological sensitivity well before this became a focus of government agencies.

“Evidence of cultural harm has not been provided to Victorian climbing representatives.”