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General Climbing Discussion

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Grampians Access 2019 14-Feb-2019 At 6:14:51 PM JamesMc

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>If our attitude to cultural heritage bans is that we'll break them then
>we've lost at the outset. Showing disrespect to cultural heritage will
>confirm to Aboriginal Victoria that there is nothing to negotiate with
>us. Our only valid (or viable) negotiating position is to acknowledge the
>presence of cultural heritage and ask how climbing can respectfully co-exist
>with it. That may not be possible at some sites - it may be at others.
>We now have a long road ahead of us.

Kieran, agree up to the point that they're valid, but there's no particular reason to expect that to be the case. Remember that Parks Vic (I think they had a different name at the time) maintained a seasonal prohibition on climbing at Werribee Gorge to protect peregrine falcons for years after they stopped nesting there.

My expectation is that we'll see something like "no climbing in Vic Range west of the watershed" which I would not regard as valid. If it was "no climbing at Camp of the Emu's Foot" then I could respect that.

I don't think there's any suggestion of climbing respectfully coexisting with cultural heritage in the current regulation. That was the hope years ago when Gordon and I named our guide book "South Western Grampians Gariwerd Interim Climbing Guide" to pay some respect to the Aboriginal community.

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