Parks Victoria boss left under a cloud over mismanagement of rock climbing and access issues

Parks Victoria boss Matthew Jackson’s had faced weeks of uncertainty over his job after his organisation had made a series of misjudgments.

Ousted Parks Victoria CEO Matthew Jackson

The ousting of Parks Victoria CEO Matthew Jackson will lead to serious efforts by the Allan government to negotiate with traditional owners over the size of the climbing bans at Mount Arapiles.

The government has agreed to extend the consultation timeframe over changes to the Arapiles management plan and has already begun dealing more fully with climbers after the debacle over Parks Victoria’s handling of the issue.

The role of the Barengi Gadjin Land Council in western Victoria will be crucial in the push to make the mountain more accessible to climbers with the dual aim of protecting cultural heritage.

Mr Jackson lost the support of the government over the failure of his organisation to keep land open to the public, forcing a rearguard action to resolve the rock climbing access row at Mount Arapiles.

For weeks the government had been grappling behind the scenes to unpick the bureaucratic mess at Mount Arapiles, which led to a national revolt over the way climbers were shut out of more than half the routes.

Senior sources said that Mount Arapiles had been the trigger for Mr Jackson’s demise but that there also were “a series of errors and issues’’ facing the government over land access as a result of Parks Victoria’s long-term decisions.

Cultural heritage bans at Mount Arapiles have cost the Parks Victoria boss his job. Picture: AAP.

There had been intense speculation for a fortnight inside government that Mr Jackson’s grip on the Parks Victoria job was slipping and that he may be removed from the job.

Sources told The Weekend Australian that the government had tired with the conflict over rock climbing and access issues generally, including the lack of consultation with climbers.

The access issues were broader than just climbing.

The internal angst intensified after the Mount Arapiles issue blew up in the government’s face due to a lack of consultation and the secrecy of the cultural heritage process, which Parks Victoria is often involved with.

The government told climbers on Friday it would extend the consultation period for reviewing the management plan at Arapiles.

Climbing Victoria said it had been informed by Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos’s office that the consultation period for management plan changes at Arapiles would be extended to February 14.

“We were also informed that a broader consultation process will be conducted by Parks Victoria over the consultation period,’’ it said.

“While this is preliminary information, it is a strong indication that the government has recognised the seriousflaws in the development and consultation processes associated with this amendment.’’

Facing an electoral backlash over access to public land, the government announced on Thursday that Mr Jackson would leave Parks Victoria “by mutual agreement” and that consultants KordaMentha would assist with a wide-ranging review.

The review will focus on Parks Victoria’s priorities, the legislation that oversees it, administration, finances and functions, in what promises to lead to a root-and-branch overhaul of the way it has functioned.

It comes as the state and federal Coalition plan to capitalise on community concerns over access.

The Victorian Coalition will reverse the Arapiles bans, leader John Pesutto said.

State environment spokesman James Newbury said the government had botched the portfolio.

“Victorians don’t want their parks locked up,’’ he said. “And they don’t want rock climbing banned.’’

Federally, land access is expected to be an issue at the looming election.

All cultural heritage claims in Australia would be independently and forensically examined for factual accuracy under a declaration signed by seven Coalition MPs in the wake of the row over Arapiles.

Called the Arapiles Declaration, the MPs also have pledged all stakeholders should be properly consulted on the potential closure of public access to land or water based on cultural heritage grounds.

The MPs, led by the federal member for Mallee Anne Webster, have cited closures at Mt Warning in NSW, Uluru and restrictions to Lake Eyre in South Australia as examples of where the system requires tightening or analysis.

“Australians comprehensively rejected creating racial division in our community at the 2023 national referendum,’’ the MPs said.

The MPs are Ms Webster, Senator Nampijinpa Price, Senator Bridget McKenzie, Senator Jonno Duniam, David Littleproud, Dan Tehan and Michael McCormack.

The Barengi Gadjin Land Council was contacted for comment, as was Mr Jackson.