In an extremely good and long overdue decision, climbing Uluru will become a thing of the past, after a National Park board voted to officially ban the practice earlier today.
The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park board, which is comprised of three representatives from National Parks and eight traditional land owners, voted to officially ban the climbing of the sacred site; a ruling that will come into effect from October 26th, 2019.
The practice has been largely frowned upon for eons, but remained legal in regards to National Park regulation. However, since the site was handed back to its traditional owners in 1985, visitors have been asked to reconsider any plans to climb the rock. Signs urging people to not climb have been in place at the base of the site’s climb route since 1992.
Today’s decision has been heralded as the “righting [of] a historic wrong,” and comes after a period in which traditional land owners have felt obliged or pressured to keep the climb route open to tourists by Government officials. Traditional owner and park board chairman Sammy Wilson said the climb’s closure was not a cause for sadness, but rather celebration, and called on both the public and government to show their support for today’s decision.
Some people in tourism and government for example might have been saying we need to keep it open but it’s not their law that lies in this land. It is an extremely important place, not a playground or theme park like Disneyland. The Government needs to respect what we are saying about our culture in the same way it expects us to abide by its laws.
After much discussion, we’ve decided it’s time.
Over the years Anangu have felt a sense of intimidation, as if someone is holding a gun to our heads to keep it open. Please don’t hold us to ransom.
This decision is for both Anangu and non-Anangu together to feel proud about; to realise, of course it’s the right thing to close the ‘playground’. Closing the climb is not something to feel upset about but a cause for celebration.
A recent study estimated that just 16% of visitors to the site embarked on the climb, which under the current park agreement allowed today’s vote on a permanent closure to take place.
The date of the closure has been timed to coincide with the 34th anniversary of Uluru’s handback to traditional owners.
The park itself will remain open to tourists.
