A popular rock climbing destination south of Sydney has been closed off due to aboriginal “cultural heritage protection”, leaving local climbers furious.
Climbers say they were not consulted by Wingecarribee Shire Council (WSC) before it banned access to Mt Alexandra, near Mittagong, making 130 routes off-limits, the Australian Climbing Association NSW revealed on Thursday.
Photos shared by the ACA NSW show a new sign across a blocked road stating “rock climbing, abseiling and bouldering prohibited beyond this point”, and the council states on its website that the area is closed “due to irreversible damage occurring to Aboriginal Heritage”.
The site contains aboriginal charcoal drawings, which the climbing group said are visible only “knowing it is there”, and according to an archaeological report represent flying foxes, a shield, a kangaroo and human-like figures.
Some have been inadvertently affected by climbing chalk, while one well-preserved panel has a belay bolt about a metre away, and the group said the first climbers to use the site 40 years ago had not been aware of the art’s existence, and current climbers had only learned of it in June this year.
But the ACA NSW said unbeknownst to them the council had known of “culturally sensitive art” at the site since 2009, and that after hearing about it climbers had worked with local indigenous groups to remove climbing bolts and shut down nearby routes and link-up routes.
“Climbers became aware of art in the First Cave through their own investigations in June. Despite many interactions with WSC over recent years, the council failed to discuss any concern regarding climbing at Mt Alexandra or cultural heritage impacts,” the ACS NSW said in a message to climbers.
“After learning of the art near climbs, climbers reached out to aboriginal representatives, met with them and within a month, under traditional custodian (sic) supervision, the area was carefully remediated. Climbing in proximity to the artworks is no longer possible.
“We feel climbers have behaved with integrity, responsibly and rapidly. We feel WSC has failed in these values and failed in its stated vision of striving to make a positive impact in its community.
“[The] WSC seems determined to scapegoat climbers for 16 years of council inaction on this matter. It is as if they have taken a leaf from the playbook used by previous management of Parks Victoria where blanket bans and secrecy were thought to be appropriate management tools.”
The organisation is now calling on climbers to politely register their opposition to the closure with council and locals MPs.
Upset climbers addressed the ban on social media, with one writing “Give it another 10 years and all outdoor climbing will be banned at this rate!” and another saying “The whole country is being shut down. Utter BS”.
Last year Victoria’s Labor government closed up to half of all rock-climbing areas at world-famous Mr Arapiles due to a secretive aboriginal cultural heritage investigation that found tens of thousands of artefacts, scarred trees and rock art, much of it not visible to the naked eye.
That ban was pushed by some members of the Wotjobaluk indigenous community, who are now claiming to be the victims of a “racist” backlash against the route closures.
The Mt Alexandra ban comes amid ongoing controversy over the controversial closure of iconic northern NSW tourist destination Mt Warning to all visitors except local aboriginal males, which has sparked protest climbs and a demonstration by nationalist activists.
Header image: The new closure sign (ACA NSW).
The post Climbing banned on mountain near Sydney due to aboriginal ‘cultural heritage’ first appeared on The Noticer.
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