Uluru to be closed to climbers

[imastawka]

Uluru will be closed to climbers after the board of the Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park voted to close the climb to the summit of the rock.

The decision to close Uluru to climbers was described as "righting a historic wrong" by David Ross, the director of the Central Land Council.

"This decision has been a very long time coming and our thoughts are with the elders who have longed for this day but are no longer with us to celebrate it," Mr Ross said.

Uluru's management has been urged to close the rock permanently to climbers, with senior traditional owner and leader Sammy Wilson saying the sacred rock is "not a theme park like Disneyland".

In a speech due to have been delivered about 10am today, Mr Wilson, who is also chairman of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Board of Management, said it was time to close the rock to climbers.

For years the Anangu, the local Indigenous owners, felt as if they had a "gun to our heads" to keep the rock open, he told the board.

"Please don't hold us to ransom," he said.

The 12-member board that manages the park, which includes eight Indigenous representatives, will vote at noon today on whether to close the climb permanently, while keeping the park open to tourists.

It is very likely to pass, say sources, but not without some opposition.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/uluru-closed-to-climbers-after-vote-of-national-park-board/...

Personally, I think it's about time.  They ask you not to climb, but people still do it.

[davidc4430]

its so hard to look good

[bsal6160]

THE ROCK has been there for over 500,000,000 years. Compare that to the supposed 40,000 years for aborginial culture. How can they say it is theirs? They didnt build it, put it there, repair it, maintain it. Its a rock of NATIONAL importance not for one culture to claim.

[kopenhagen5]

I agree with your point, however if it is sacred to anyone on the planet, it's the aboriginal.

[bsal6160]

sacred for what reason? for being a huge rock out in the middle of knowhere? we australians deserve more a reason for the "sacred" statement.

[springyzone]

It was probably sacred back in the day but even then, some of the elders climbed it.

I'm just glad I got the chance to climb it back in the 1970s & my kids saw it in the '90s and climbed some of the way.

It was a very challenging climb for the first little bit but easy after that, if I recall.

Back in the '70s i remember we were taken on a walk round the base & into quite a few caves but then by the time we visited in the 90s, women weren't allowed in some of the caves.

I find it interesting in that we are not allowed to exclude anyone any more-not in ads, jobs, signs etc and yet other cultural groups are able to with impunity.

I'm not saying they shouldn't be able to-just that I think some people have blinkers on in that what would horrify them if done by white anglo saxons they have no trouble accepting from other groups.

[davidc4430]

any chance they will install an elevator?

that would be my favored option for getting to the top, not a big climber me.

[lyndal1838]

As I remember it when the area was handed back to the Aborigines they swore blind they would not close it to tourists.

Funny how they can change their minds now.

If it was a promise made by the Government (State or Federal) all h*ll would be breaking loose.

[imastawka]

They haven't closed it.   You can still visit and walk around it.   It's a very interesting walk.

It's about 10 klms around.  You can do it in about 4 hours.   

Yes, there are caves that women can't go in.   But there are also caves that men can't

go in as well.

You can prob still climb about 6 foot up to read the memorial plaques of those who

fell off and killed themselves.  There have beeen about 35 deaths - most due to heart attacks.

[davidc4430]

not to mention the 500 aboriginals under it, it was originally like this

made a great shelter out of the sun.