Grampians rock-climb damage proves a bit of a stretch

Parks Victoria has vastly overstated the impact of environmental damage at eight Grampians National Park sites.

Climber Viktor Dahl tackles a rock face at Serpentine, 75m above ground level, in Victoria’s Grampians National Park. Picture: Matt Ray

Parks Victoria has vastly overstated the impact of environmental damage at eight Grampians National Park sites amid fresh doubts about the department’s campaign against Australia’s rock climbing fraternity.

During a summit with stakeholders affected by the ­depart­ment’s sweeping climbing bans, Parks Victoria’s chief conser­vation scientist, Mark Norman, wrongly claimed that damage at eight key sites covered 7.425ha of the park.

Speaking in front of the departmental hierarchy, Dr Norman said the damage caused by rock climbers and other park users was vast in the eight areas that were examined at ground level.

The figure was repeated in the official report of a December 3 rock climbing roundtable but will be corrected after a climber spotted the discrepancy, with the ­actual figure just 0.7ha and caused by multiple different land users.

“The area of environmental disturbance calculated over the eight sites has been measured at 7.425ha,’’ notes of the meeting state. “Observed impacts include evidence of artificial fires, human waste, smoke impacts on rock, stored climbing gear, semi-permanent camps, chalking on rock faces, vegetation clearing/damage and weeds in cleared areas.’’

The gaffe is the latest error by Parks Victoria over the handling of its bans on climbing in Australia’s most revered terrain.

While climbers accept that some in their community have caused damage, they believe the impact has been overstated by Parks Victoria to justify bans on climbing across more than 500sq km in western Victoria. Parks Victoria also has banned climbing at an outcrop at nearby Mount Arapiles, with cultural heritage issues also cited.

Parks Victoria said the initial figure provided to the roundtable had been revised down. The Weekend Australian can also reveal a ministerial briefing signed by Parks Victoria chief executive Matthew Jackson on March 19, 2019, almost certainly exaggerated the role of climbing in damaging the environment.

In an FOI request made by a climber, Mr Jackson is revealed sending a ­series of photos to Environment Minister Lily D’Ambro­sio that claim to show “impacts of climbing activity within the Grampians ­National Park’’.

Only one of the eight pictures shows definitive evidence of climbing activity; the rest show impacts that are, at best, ambiguous. One photo described as showing climbing impacts is of an outdoors fireplace with no evidence of a climber.

Another shows a tree limb that had been cut with a chainsaw but with no evidence of a climber being involved.

Another shows stone stacks in a cave with no one present and then images of Venus Baths, which is one of the busiest ­locations in the park.

Another image shows extensive chalk left behind by a climber and is clearly the result of overuse.

Simon Carter, a renowned climbing photographer, said Parks Victoria had wrongly vilified climbers, failing to substantiate its  claims.

“I believe climbers have been scapegoated to distract from far, far more serious impacts that are occurring to the cultural and environmental values of the park, ­appalling mismanagement and a sneaky move towards commercialisation and commodification of our national parks,’’ he said.

Ms D’Ambrosio would not be drawn on whether she had been misled about the impact of climbing.

“Parks Victoria is undertaking cultural heritage assessments and environmental impact assessments and has committed to ongoing engagement with rock climbers,’’ she said.

Mr Jackson said: “Parks Victoria has continually provided updates on direct recreational impacts in the Grampians to members of the rock climbing roundtable, including updates from independent experts of the impacts of rock climbing at sensitive rock art sites.

“Parks Victoria has specifically informed members of the rock climbing roundtable that not all recreational impacts are caused by rock climbers.”