Thursday, 2 May 2024

Mount Arapiles rock climbing

Emma KEALY (Lowan) (09:53): I raise a matter for the Premier, and I call her on her urgent intervention to immediately unlock rock climbing at Mount Arapiles where there are no areas of cultural heritage significance. We know that the rock climbing at Mount Arapiles was shut down about 4½ years ago. Since that time there have been a number of archaeological surveys and cultural heritage surveys done at that site. We were told 3½ years ago that that would be completed within 12 months. We still have not had a result and an outcome.

For the Natimuk community and for the climbing community Mount Arapiles is very, very important. It brings in about $12 million a year to Horsham and the Natimuk area. It supports important small businesses in the Natimuk community. Also so many people from around the world have chosen Natimuk to be their homes so they could access Mount Arapiles.

Climbers are not cultural bandits. They have actually put in an enormous amount of work to protect areas where there is cultural heritage, like rock art on the walls, and also where they know there have been scar trees, but by locking them out not only are they putting the community at risk but we have no protection for areas of cultural significance. I urge the Premier to urgently intervene and to act to reopen sites which have been assessed as not having areas of significant cultural heritage and also to make sure we can bring back rock climbing as soon as we possibly can.