Visitors oppose a climbing ban on Uluru.
Visitors climbing the great Australian monument of Uluru, previously known as Ayres Rock, can continue to do so, but only for the time being.
Climbing the magnificent red rock has always been frowned upon, especially by the Indigenous people who regard Uluru as a sacred site of their ancestors, but as of yet no law has been put into place to stop people climbing to the top of the rock.
Proposals were made in July of last year to ban tourists from climbing Uluru, however it was said that Kevin Rudd, the Australian Prime Minister was against the plans and so despite repeated threats to ban climbing, no legislation was passed to prevent people from doing so.
In October a new viewing platform complete with walkways stretching for 7 miles around Uluru was unveiled in an attempt to stop people from attempting the climb, but for many tourists tackling the great rock is all part of the Australian experience, with nearly 40% of visitors to Uluru attempting the climb, despite signs around the site asking them not to.
Now the Federal Government have said that a ban on climbing the rock will not be considered unless certain conditions are met by Uluru National Park. Those conditions are that the number of people climbing Uluru has to halve, to around 20% and the Park must provide other attractions for visitors and alternate experiences other than Uluru.
Once conditions are met then the government will go ahead will the plans to ban the climbing of Uluru, but the Park must provide 18 months notice before the plans are put into place.
Previously the tourism industry has always opposed a ban on climbing Uluru, despite the fact that more than 30 people have died attempting the often treacherous ascent. They argue that climbing Uluru is one of the major reasons people visit the area. A recent survey of visitors to the area also confirmed that 80% of them oppose such a ban.
Environment Minister Peter Garrett however, has long been a staunch supporter of the ban, arguing that at present Uluru is closed to climbers for around 300 days of the year anyway because of weather conditions and that many climbers do not respect the cultural significance of the rock, often using it as a toilet or dumping ground.
No doubt he and the Indigenous people, the traditional owners of Uluru, will be bitterly disappointed by the decision to keep Uluru open for climbers. However it does look as though a ban will eventually become a reality, so if you haven’t already climbed the great rock, your time is fast running out!
Love Australia? Let us keep you informed...
- Join the Embrace Australia community today. Have your questions answered by our experts, start your own blog, get vital migration information and gain valuable insight from those who have already made the journey.
- Subscribe to our RSS Feed and have all our daily news and features delivered straight to your news reader.
- Join our mailing list -
