Petition Garners 10,000 Signatures to Reopen Mt Warning Access Roads
MP John Ruddick has initiated a petition to reopen the mountain and has strongly criticized the actions of ‘left-wing extremists’ regarding the closure.
Close to 10,000 individuals have signed a petition requesting the reopening of the summit trail of Mount Warning (Wollumbin) in New South Wales, which has been off-limits to the public since 2020 due to the decision of local indigenous custodians.
Mount Warning, a 1,156-meter eroded shield volcano located in the Northern Rivers region of the Tweed Coast, is a popular spot for hikers and nature lovers, with archaeological evidence of indigenous occupation dating back 6,000 years.
The indigenous community considers this mountain to be the site where their creator spirit Nguthungulli ascended to the sky. Before the closure, approximately 120,000 visitors annually would trek along the mountain’s summit trail and surrounding areas.
In response to safety concerns and with the backing of the Wollumbin Consultative Group, comprised of Aboriginal elders from the Bundjalung tribe, the mountain has been kept closed even post-pandemic since 2020.
The group has requested that visitors, including indigenous women, refrain from hiking the mountain out of respect for their cultural beliefs, citing potential negative impacts on its spiritual significance.
Nevertheless, NSW Libertarian Party MP John Ruddick has launched a petition to reopen the mountain to the public, gathering close to the required 10,000 signatures needed to trigger a parliamentary debate.
MP Expresses Doubts
Mr. Ruddick has cast doubt on the cultural significance of the site to the Bundjalung tribe and criticized what he sees as political exploitation by ‘extremists’ preventing access to the mountain for anyone other than male members of the Wollumbin tribe.
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He expressed disbelief in the existence of substantial evidence proving the mountain’s significance to the Bundjalung tribe. He suggested that the exclusion of park visitors stems from political motives aiming to sow division, rather than genuine cultural concern.
Mr. Ruddick stated, “I don’t believe it is the Aboriginal version of Jerusalem or Mecca or St Peters,” in an interview with the Daily Mail. He continued, “I am convinced these claims are recent inventions of white left-wing extremists who are exploiting Aborigines and I don’t believe there is any documentary evidence for them.
“If it was sacred, of course, we respect those holy sites and we don’t want to upset people if they have genuine belief in a spiritual thing.”
He criticized the extremists for disregarding the negative consequences on the Aboriginal community and described their actions as a tactic used by white academics to instill guilt in Australians.
Comparing the issue with the closure of Uluru in 2019, Mr. Ruddick emphasized the need to push back against such restrictions and prevent further instances where access to significant sites is limited.
Despite receiving support from the state government, the legitimacy of the Wollumbin Consultative Group to enforce the ban was questioned by other indigenous groups, leading to internal conflicts with the Ngarakbal Githabul and Yoocum Yoocum communities challenging their authority.
Mr. Ruddick highlighted the diversity within indigenous communities, stating, “Aborigines are not a monolith, there is always conflict among the local Aborigines.”
Petition Progress
The petition is supported by Marc Hendrickx, author of “A Guide to Climbing Mount Warning: the fight for awe and wonder,” along with Mr. Ruddick.
The petition, currently with 9,972 signatures, advocates for the reopening of Mt Warning’s summit trail to all visitors, regardless of their race or gender.
For two consecutive years on Australia Day, Mr. Hendrickx and Ngarakbal elder Sturt Boyd defied the ban by summiting the mountain, despite the presence of security guards hired at a cost of $7,000 per week to prevent access between April and October 2023.
In a statement on his book’s website, Mr. Hendrckx asserted the Ngarakbal tribe’s deep connection to the mountain.
In response to community concerns, Ms. Sharpe’s spokesperson mentioned that the minister is actively engaging with various stakeholders to address the situation with Wollumbin.
