WESTERN Victoria MP, Bev McArthur was back into the swing of State politics following the official opening of the 60th Parliament of Victoria on December 21.

Mrs McArthur wasted no time in questioning Environment Minister, Ingrid Stitt about the alleged aggression by park rangers towards a visitor to the Grampians National Park the previous weekend.

Mrs McArthur said a rock climber at the popular and partly Designated Climbing Area, the Taipan Wall near Mount Zero at the northern end of the Grampians, was subjected to surveillance and threats of potential legal action.

Rock climbing was largely unregulated before the draft Greater Gariwerd Landscape Management Plan was prepared by Parks Victoria, Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation, and Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation.

The final plan released in November 2021, determined climbing to be prohibited except within 104 Designated Climbing Areas, where climbing is permitted in accordance with specified conditions, enforceable by Parks Victoria authorised officers.

Although, the Taipan Wall is listed as a Designated Climbing Area, it was subject to an 18-month cultural heritage survey recently by Parks Victoria and Traditional Owners and was deemed to have cultural values.

As a result, some of the climbing sections have been re-routed and parts of the wall have been closed to climbers.

Mrs McArthur said National Parks were a place for law abiding peace, not prosecution and that an “aggressive eco-warrior attitude by park rangers in the Grampians National Park has rock climbers newly-anxious about their rights in the park”.

“In recent years Parks Victoria has, frankly, harassed responsible members of the climbing community - treating them as wreckers and criminals,” she said.

“The climber in this instance was aggressively questioned.

“His car had been under surveillance and was recorded as parked on public roads at various locations while containing climbing equipment.

“He was then cautioned for having no photo identification.”

Mrs McArthur said the demonising of visitors to the park, who do the right thing, was counterproductive and questioned Minister Stitt if the “spying and aggressive questioning” was proportionate.

She said given the $23.2 million the State Government contributed towards a total of $33 million for the Grampians Peaks Trail, tourism ought to be encouraged not dissuaded.

“People who go the National Park, the fourth- largest in Victoria, don’t go there to trash the place,” Mrs McArthur said.

“They go there to immerse themselves in nature and the beauty and peace it provides.

“Rock climbers are no different.”

Australian Climbers Association Victoria (ACAV) president, Mike Tomkins came to Australia twenty years ago and had been climbing in the Grampians all throughout that time.

He said the Taipan Wall was very famous among climbers all around the world, for being the best place to climb in Australia.

“I knew about the Taipan Wall thirty years ago - it was the first place I went to when I came to Australia,” Mr Tomkins said.

“People from all over the world have ambitions to climb the Taipan Wall.”

Mr Tomkins said the issue around harassment of climbers in the Grampians had been brewing since restrictions were introduced in February 2019.

“A meeting was called by Parks Victoria in Halls Gap in February 2019 and invited climbers’ groups and local stakeholders to attend where they were essentially told that three-quarters of the climbing areas in the Grampians was going to be off limits from that time on,” he said.

“These bans were introduced, then in March 2019 (climbers) started experiencing harassment.

“There were three or four instances around that time when several climbers were approached by park rangers, (who) were actually wearing flak jackets, they had mace and body cameras and they had guns - essentially everything a police officer would carry.

“They entered a climbers’ bush camp at 8am and were standing over them (climbers) interrogating them about where they intended on climbing.

“That was the start of it.”

Mr Tomkins said since then there had been a lot of negotiation between climbers’ groups and Parks Victoria over the Taipan Wall.

“It was banned for almost two years during negotiations - it wasn’t a formal legal request - more just a please stay away,” he said.

“But now we’re only allowed to climb the left side.

“Essentially, the most popular part has been banned - the right-hand side is the premium climbing.”

Mr Tomkins said that would seem to be a compromise for climbers, but they (climbers’ groups) have questioned the legality of it.

He acknowledged that the parts of the Grampians where there was rock art should indeed be celebrated and said that ACAV was conscious of cultural sensitivities and deeply respectful of indigenous art and heritage.

Mr Tomkins said that the Taipan Wall didn’t have any rock art but was an area that had possible evidence of historic cultural “quarrying” or rock breakage.

However, he said there were countless examples of this throughout the Grampians, and that it was not something that climbers would impact.

Mr Tomkins said he spoke directly to the person who was approached by Parks Victoria rangers on Sunday and said the person was alarmed and distressed by the incident.

“Someone I go climbing with was traumatised from the harassment on Sunday - it was very psychological - bullying,” he said.

“This person was following all the regulations - all the new recommendations as per the recent assessment.

“After a period of friendly conversation, one of the rangers took the conversation in a serious direction and read out the legal rights to the climber, - “anything you say may be used against you in evidence”.

“The rangers’ power was asymmetrical - they’re in uniforms with radios and all the gear - it’s very intimidating.

“This person (his climbing associate) is a rational person - he’s a taxpayer, a law-abiding citizen.

“They said, “we can do this the easy way or the hard way”, (and) the climber chose an interview on the track below Taipan Wall.

“The hard way was not specified.”

Mr Thomas said the park ranger’s questions related to recent sightings of the climber’s car within the Grampians National Park, and they advised him, “your face matches the vehicle owner details”.

“The climber’s car had been parked on public roads at various locations and had been noted to contain climbing equipment,” he said.

“After further discussion, the climber was given a caution for not presenting photo ID.”

Mr Tomkins said this was about “good people being intimidated while going for a bushwalk”.

He said the remaining one-quarter of permissible climbing areas in the Grampians would be subject to permits in 2023.

“You’ll have to get a permit online and renew it every two years which will include cultural heritage induction.”

Mr Tomkins said a formal complaint would be made regarding the conduct of the park rangers’ behaviour from the incident.

“Fundamentally, National Parks are there for the enjoyment, recreation and education of the public, under the National Parks Act” he said. 

The Minister’s office was contact for comment however, the matter was referred to the media department of the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.

A Victorian Government spokesperson responded and said the safety of visitors was a priority.

“We’re working with Parks Victoria to understand the matters raised by Mrs McArthur,” they said.

“The question Mrs McArthur asked in Parliament will be handled through the usual process.”