The working group has formed following a State Government decision in November, 2024, to ban a significant number of climbing areas at Arapiles in order to protect cultural heritage sites.
The move caused significant concern in the climbing fraternity and Natimuk community, who value the climbers and visitors to Arapiles for economic and social purposes.
After about a year of campaigning and behind-the-scenes discussions in a period that also saw the replacement of the Parks Victoria chief executive, the community working group formed, aiming to support economic and social benefits for the community and broader region, while also protecting and celebrating the area’s cultural, social, recreational and environmental values.
Parks Victoria chief executive Lee Miezis said it was important to find the right solution together.
“It’s fair to say we had to rebuild trust and that’s what we’ve been really focused on,” he said.
“The work that’s been happening, it continues to happen, is a genuine partnership.
“BGLC working really closely together, the expertise and the input from Climbing Victoria, from Horsham city council, and from the local community – I think it just strengthens the management of this area to benefit everyone.”
Mr Miezis said improving visitor facilities and making further investments at the park, which celebrates its cultural value, was a focus to ‘provide a broad range of access and uses for the community at large’.
New signs, funded through the government’s $1.7-million commitment, were damaged when the Parks Victoria Natimuk depot was affected by the Grass Flat fire in January.
“Some of those signs were destroyed, we’re obviously in the process of replacing those, but I think the important thing is we want to work with the community about some of the facilities that we want to put out on site,” Mr Miezis said.
Climbing Victoria and Arapiles District Community Group representatives have joined BGLC members at recent on-ground cultural heritage survey work in the north-west area of Dyurrite.
Meanwhile, Parks Victoria has completed aerial surveys of Dyurrite using drone and light aircraft flyovers, with the images to be used to create detailed digital maps and 3D models.
Barengi Gadjin Land Council chair Chris Harrison said the next six months would be crucial in outlining cultural heritage sites and recreational use in the park, while allowing the community to have a say about what is important to them.
“We need to be very clear about how we articulate it – like each group has different areas that we have to go back and go through approvals in certain areas,” he said.
“It’s not something that we are going to come out and make a decision of this is what it is. It’s got to go through those processes.
“ There’s a lot more hard conversations to come down the track. But also how we work together to see, make sure the betterment is, here for the community.
“When coming into the working group, while being kicked from all directions due to political views about our culture and beliefs, being a part of the working group helps reset opinions, views and understandings in respectful dialogue with the other working group members and is leading to positive collaboration for the betterment of the community to bring everyone along on the journey.”
Mr Harrison said the group wanted to ensure decisions about the park were not a ‘political lever’.
“We want to make sure we’ve got something that’s for the enjoyment for the whole community,” he said.
“We want to make sure our cultural heritage protections are upheld, but we also want to make sure we have engagement from all of the community, and part of that process of enjoying it and actually respecting it as well.”
Climbing Victoria representative Martin Jackson said the working group was well set up to have genuine, trusted and constructive conversations to deal with the tougher issues to come.
“I think that’ll really help us to get through those conversations where we talk about how we can protect and promote cultural heritage in this landscape at the same time as promoting climbing and outdoor education, which really helped to support the social and economic fabric of this local region,” he said.
“If we can do that and that leads to a really welcoming and vital place rather than one that’s divisive, we think all those activities can work to complement each other rather than to compete against each other.”
Mr Jackson said it had been tough for the climbing and guiding community – some of who had built their lives around the climbing available at Arapiles.
“I think it’s been a relief to have a path through this working group to have a conversation – whereas before that, we had no conversation,” he said.
“Now we’ve got that opportunity to really be talking on an honest basis and have the confidence that we can get compromise, consideration and a balanced approach.”
Arapiles District Community Group representative Felix Ritson said it had been wonderful to see the progress being made through respectful dialogue and collaboration.
“Obviously any community is going to have a diverse range of opinions, but I think seeing everyone talking and collaborating and respectful dialogue happening, I think the community really is stoked about it, to be honest,” he said.
“We are pretty tight-knit here in the Wimmera – everyone knows that we all want the same goodness and prosperity, and sharing and protection of our things for everyone here.
“If things keep going as they are I would expect that an outcome can be achieved that will act as a shining example of how well things can be done. It is an honour to be involved in this process.”
Horsham Mayor Brian Klowss said it was vital all groups continued working collaboratively to shape the future of Arapiles.
“ I think the slow and steady and getting it right is actually the right move – we don’t need to be quick,” he said.
“We can actually go and do it right, do it once and do it right the first time.
“I think the group is made up of a really good spectrum of people out of the community, and I think that all bodes well for us in the future if we can keep working together.
“I think this potentially will set a pretty good precedence for other projects that’ll happen going forward as well.”
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