Parks Victoria banned new climbing routes amid indigenous angst over Arapiles ‘colonisation’

New climbing routes at Mt Arapiles were blocked because traditional owners viewed it as a form of ‘colonisation’.

The town of Natimuk faces catastrophe if Mount Arapiles climbing ban goes forward. From right, Madi Russell, Ben Shepherd and Melissa Edwards after climbing Muldoon. Picture: Nadir Kinani

Parks Victoria banned new rock climbing routes in the state’s west because traditional owners ­believed it was a form of ­“colonisation”.

Departmental documents outline the parameters used to define how the controversial Mt Arapiles/Dyurrite management overhaul was created.

The decision framework from June 2021 reveals the government capped any new climbing routes at the park at least in part because of traditional owner views on the impact of climbing on the landscape. Parks Victoria said traditional owners perceived pioneering of new routes as “a continuing act of colonisation of the landscape”.

Government moves to slash the overall number of climbing routes at the internationally recognised site, about 330km northwest of Melbourne, have sparked an angry backlash.

The government is close to finalising its new position on the bans, which threaten to gut the small wheat-belt town of Natimuk and undermine Labor’s reputation on access to public spaces.

“There will be no further growth in rock climbing – only defined climbing areas currently known and documented at the time of commencement of current assessments (October 2020) will be considered in decision-making processes,’’ Parks Victoria wrote in a document marked sensitive.

“Climbing areas established after this time will be considered invalid and will not be supported.

“This management principle acknowledges the coexistence of historic rock-climbing use where appropriate and that the residual opportunities for climbing is ­adequate.”

Parks Victoria said any more new routes could be detrimental to the environment and the cultural heritage integrity of the park.

“The management principle also recognises that the expansion of the aggregated footprint of the activity (climbing) may undermine the integrity of the cultural landscape, its tangible and intangible values, including cultural displacement of traditional owner practices,’’ it wrote.

“Pioneering of new climbing areas is also perceived by traditional owners as a continuing act of colonisation of the landscape.

“Areas where there is no demonstrated history that rock climbing has previously occurred, will therefore remain for preservation and will not be subject to ­assessment.’’

Large parts of Mt Arapiles are rarely used for rock climbing, particularly on the western flank.

Australian Climbing Association Victoria treasurer Mike Tomkins said Parks Victoria had become an activist organisation.

“Parks Victoria has disappeared into an activist sinkhole, and it is unable to comprehend the reality of simple recreational activities,’’ he said.

The revelations come as documents also emerged on the environmental assessments conducted at Mt Arapiles as part of the climbing bans.

Parks Victoria said recorded impacts included cut stumps and branches, “general rubbish”, rock cairns, informal tracks and toilet waste.

However, like claims at the nearby Grampians National Park, there was limited evidence provided by the government organisation on this damage.

However, a photograph was provided of a rare skelton fork fern, which is one of the endangered plants the survey said existed in climbing areas.

Despite the targeting of climbers, the environmental assessments found that pedestrian movements were the biggest threats to the environment.

The area between the Arapiles campground and the climbing routes has a network of informal tracks where people walk to the edge of the rock faces.

“Pedestrian impacts were by far the most frequent threat to the ­environment because they ­facilitate the spread of weeds (and pathogens) throughout the ­landscape,’’ Parks Victoria ­reported.

“In an area of less than two square kilometres, more than 10km of informal access tracks were mapped during the surveys.

“The informal walking tracks, created by park users, are unplanned and are not maintained by Parks Victoria.’’

The issue of rock climbing in Victoria has become a years-long saga that has undermined the government since 2019.

Former Parks Victoria CEO Matthew Jackson late last year left the job after years of reporting by The Australian on the mismanagement of the rock climbing bans.

When he left, interim Parks Victoria chief Graeme “Gus” Dear was appointed to help resolve the crisis, after up to 60 per cent of all routes at Arapiles were banned.

However, there is significant tension between the local First Nations group Barengi Gadjin Land Council and climbers. BGLC did not respond to The Australian.

There is also speculation that BGLC is unhappy with the Victorian government over the decision to extend the consultation process to February 14.

Mr Jackson was being paid more than $500,000 a year, slightly more than the Premier, but fell out with the government amid the wrangling over rock climbing at Arapiles and the way the bans were imposed.

Rock art is not the most significant heritage at Mt Arapiles, with ancient stone quarrying and scarred trees dominating the landscape.