CLIMBING and hiking bans are still in place at Mt Arapiles Tooan State Park in western Victoria after three years with no indication of when they will be lifted.

Western Victoria MP, Bev McArthur, told the Victorian Parliament that the delay was unacceptable this week.

She said, in October 2020, Parks Victoria suddenly closed climbing and hiking paths for up to 12 months to conduct archaeological surveys to assess Aboriginal cultural heritage with the Barengi Gadjin Land Council - however these closures remain in place after three years.

“Mt Arapiles is a world-renowned rock-climbing area,” Mrs McArthur said.

“Visitors and tourists contribute more than 12 million dollars a year to the local region.

“Parks Victoria have no regard for the severe impacts on local communities and businesses.”

In May this year Parks Victoria said they would shortly undertake community engagement, but no further update has since been provided by the department.

Mrs McArthur said the Barengi Gadjin Land Council have not responded to any communications from the affected community over the three years.

“It has now been more than three years and we still have no indication as to when we can expect the archaeological assessments to be made public, or as to when we can expect any community engagements to occur,” she said.

“Is this a stealthy attempt by Parks Victoria to permanently ban more than 3000 rock-climbing routes?

“If Parks Victoria wish to support the long-term sustainability of climbing, as indicated on their website, they must swiftly lift the climbing and walking bans at Mt Arapiles.”

Further, she said that Parks Victoria’s climbing ban on 79 per cent of all existing routes, was unprecedented in Australia.

Mrs McArthur requested that the Environment minister make the archaeological assessments at Mt Arapiles public and conduct immediate community engagement so that climbing and walking bans at Mt Arapiles Tooan State Park can be lifted as soon as possible.