123 Unauthorised Rock Climbing Fixtures Removed From a World Heritage Area

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) last week removed over 100 unauthorised rock climbing bolts and anchors from a cliff face in Lamington National Park.

According to QPWS, the bolts had been installed by climbers over several years without the department’s permission, and rangers had recently noticed an increase in climbing in the national park. Specialist contractors were tasked with removing 123 steel bolts and anchors from the protected site in the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area.

QPWS Assistant Principal Ranger Nat Smith says, ‘The department supports rock climbing in Queensland’s protected areas…But drilling holes and gluing permanent steel fixtures into cliffs, without permission or consultation, is a serious offence under the Nature Conservation Act, because [it] causes irreversible impacts to the rock’.

QPWS’s current rules for roped sports advise that climbers cannot ‘install, replace, or modify bolts, anchor points or other fixed protection, without written authority from Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service’.

‘All plants, animals, and natural features, including the beautiful cliffs and rock formations in our national parks are protected, with some formations having significant cultural values for our First Nations partners’, Mr Smith said.

Rock climbing fixtures removed from Lamington NP | Image by QPWS

Working with the Climbing Community for a Solution

A representative from the Cliff Conservation Alliance (CCA) acknowledged the World Heritage listing of the Lamington National Park site and said that the environment there does need more protection. They also acknowledged the importance of consulting Traditional Owners when developing new climbing sites.

CCA is currently working with QPWS and the Australia Climbing Association Queensland to find a solution to developing and maintaining climbing sites – with CCA’s focus being on the long-term sustainability of climbing. The representative said that they’re not against bolting, but they would like to see QPWS working with climbers.

Queensland climber Hayden Bentley is also keen to get a process in place. ‘While it’s all very well to say that installing safety bolts needs to be authorised, apart from a few upgrades of existing safety bolts at Mt Ngungun about five years ago, QPWS has never done so. They have said that they don’t currently have the mechanism to do so’, Bentley said.

‘I really appreciate that they are working on getting a process in place, which would be fantastic, but a practical and workable process needs to be up and running urgently’, he added.

Rock climber Aidan Howes is all for unregulated climbing and makes the case for maintaining it, despite calls for its regulatory overhaul.

QPWS has stated that they’re working with the climbing community, including peak bodies, to better manage the use of fixtures in national parks across South East Queensland.

Feature image by O’Reillys Rainforest Retreat