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Storm erupts after permanent closure of popular bushwalk route as traditional administrators claim tourist photos of the site are ‘culturally inappropriate’
- Decision to close popular hiking trail that attracts thousands of people sparked outrage
- Mount Warning hiking trail, in far north NSW, closed to the public for good
- Decision made out of respect for the original Aboriginal land managers
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A decision to close a popular hiking trail out of respect for native Aborigines and prevent people from taking photos of it has sparked a backlash.
The Mount Warning trail in the Tweed Shire, in far north New South Wales, will soon be closed to visitors.
The Wollumbin Consultative Group (WCG) and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service have drawn up a management plan revealing plans to shut it down for good.
Mount Warning, known as Wollumbin to its traditional owners, attracts more than 127,000 hikers to the picturesque trail each year.
The WCG has deemed the site not ‘culturally appropriate or safe’ for hikers to use or take pictures of for tourism purposes.
A decision to close off a popular hiking trail out of respect for the native Aborigines and to prevent people from taking photos of it has sparked backlash. Pictured, hikers at the top of the trail
The Mount Warning trail in the Tweed Shire, in far north New South Wales, will soon be closed to visitors
The news of the decision to close the site has sparked heated reactions from hiking enthusiasts.
‘Soon all of Australia will be considered a cultural country and we won’t be able to climb a single mountain or cross a river. A disgrace,” someone wrote on Facebook.
Another added: “My culture says I will climb that mountain whenever I feel like it. Sick of this over-regulated country…time to finger the authority.’
A third person claimed the trail was a “great healthy and challenging activity” to do with friends.
“A really disgusting decision,” they wrote. “And to dismiss it as ‘culturally inappropriate’ is a farce.”
The NSW government announced that the future of the walkway would be decided by WCG representatives.
Environment Minister James Griffin said the use of the track violates Aboriginal cultural values.
“The Wollumbin Consultative Group has long believed that public access to the summit is not in line with the cultural values of the area,” he said.
Historically known as Wollumbin, Mount Warning attracts more than 127,000 hikers to its picturesque trail each year. Pictured, a hiker on top of the bushwalk in the mountains
News of the decision to close the site has sparked a heated backlash from hiking enthusiasts
The WCG said the site was important to the community both physically and spiritually.
“Wollumbin is connected to a wider cultural and spiritual landscape that includes creation, dream stories and initiation sites for men from deep antiquity,” it said.
The organization has drawn up a management plan in which the plans to close the organization are announced as soon as possible.
“Wollumbin Aboriginal Place closure is immediately sought by WCG Wollumbin Aboriginal stakeholders,” the plan reads.
The trail in the national park leads to a breathtaking extinct volcano and welcomes hikers from all over the country and around the world.
For years, Aboriginal elders have called for the hiking trail to be scrapped, similar to the recent closure of the rock climb at Uluru in 2019.