A close-knit small country town is rallying against the closure of Australia’s most famous rock climbing location amid fears it could be the death of their community.
Up to half of the tracks around Mount Arapiles in western Victoria will be closed after Parks Victoria found tens of thousands of Indigenous artefacts, scarred trees and rock art.
Nicknamed the heart of Australian rock climbing, the mountain is the life source of nearby town Natimuk, which is 300km from Melbourne.
Local publican Bill Lovell didn’t mince his words when he described what the Arapiles closure could mean for the town that just over 500 locals call home.
‘If the climbers don’t come here, the staff don’t get hours,’ he told A Current Affair.
Amanda Wilson from Lister House Medical Clinic in nearby Horsham, said that four of her 17 doctors relocated to the area specially for the famous rock climbing landmark.
‘To lose 25 per cent of our doctors, we would have an impact on 30,000 patients,’ she said.
Wayne Webb has built his entire livelihood around the town’s climbing addiction.
The small town of Natimuk fears it will ‘die’ if Mount Arapiles is closed to rock climbers (pictured, locals protesting)
Parks Victoria found tens-of-thousands of Indigenous artefacts, scarred trees and rock art around Mt Arapiles, a popular rock climbing destination
He runs a climbing gear shop and spends every day talking to climbers who feel ‘connected’ to the mountain.
‘This isn’t just a ban on climbers. It’s a ban on everyone,’ Mr Webb said.
Locals have also taken issue with the government’s plan to install new amenities in the park surrounding the mountain, despite closing it to climbers.
The $1.7million project includes new barbeques, tables, toilets, car parks and signs.
‘For decades, people have fought to infrastructure away to keep it pristine,’ Mr Webb said.
“This isn’t just a ban on climbers. It’s a ban on everyone,” local Gordon Webb said.
A petition created by locals to keep the mountain open to rock climbers has already attracted more than 8,000 signatures and closes on January 31.
Locals also claim the government hasn’t properly considered or address their concerns about the damage the closure would cause.
The state’s environment Steve Dimopoulos told the program that he was ordered Parks Victoria to work with the local community and climbers ‘to highlight the recreational, environmental and cultural attractions.’
The Victorian government announced the shock closure earlier this month, shortly after Premier Jacinta Allan previously promised she wouldn’t ‘padlock’ Victoria’s state forests.
‘As Premier, and as a proud country Victorian, I will never put a padlock on our public forest,’ she declared in August.
‘I know there are some people who are worried about the future of our state’s forests. And I understand there needs to be a balance. There are pockets that we need to protect, areas we must conserve.
‘But, to me, the most important thing we can do for our bush is make sure it’s enjoyed.’
Local publican Bill Lovell (pictured) said Mount Arapiles’ closure to climbers ‘could be the death of the town’
Up to half of the tracks around Victoria’s Mount Arapiles will be closed following the discovery of its connection to Indigenous heritage
Climbers slammed Ms Allan for seemingly going back on her word with a decision to close the epicentre of Australian rock climbing.
Adding insult is the fact that climbers were largely responsible for remediating Mt Arapiles, also known as Dyurrite, after its former use as a rifle range.
Opposition spokesman James Newbury at the time accused Ms Allan of misleading climbers with her comments.
‘Jacinta Allan has been caught talking out of both sides of her mouth again,’ he said.
‘Despite promising not to lock up our parkland, her government has been caught doing secret lock out deals. And within weeks, Labor has admitted they will be ramming new laws through parliament that lock up parks further. Jacinta Allan’s promises are worthless.’
It is likely the artefacts found around Mt Arapiles are predominantly stone chips. Scar trees are found throughout western Victoria but rock art is much rarer.
It’s understood most of the rock art found in the national park isn’t visible to the naked eye.
The state government recently confirmed it would create legislation for a new Wombat-Lerderderg National Park and Mount Buangor National Park by November from the Mount Arapiles-Tooan State Park.
A petition created by locals to keep the mountain open to rock climbers and hikers has more than 8,000 signatures
Parks Victoria said its investigation, completed in conjunction with the local Barengi Gadjin Land Council, was conducted between November 2020 and February 2023.
‘These surveys were intended to record cultural heritage, regionally significant threatened plants and investigate the impacts of recreational activities on this rich cultural and environmental landscape,’ it said.
‘The study’s specific focus was climbing areas identified through the Crag – a global online database of climbing and bouldering areas – and the informal trail network that has been created linking climbing areas to each other and to the formal track network.
‘Located on the sandstone escarpments on the eastern side of Dyurrite (Mount Arapiles) and the sandstone escarpments of Mitre Rock, the study area included 153 climbing areas and more than 35 kilometres of informal walking tracks leading to, and between these climbing areas.’
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