Climbing Ban Over Aboriginal Heritage Will ‘Devastate’ Community: Liberal MP

Local businesses devastated over ban, but government says conservation of area is paramount.

An undated video screenshot of a person scaling a rock face on Mount Arapiles, Victoria in Australia. AAP Image/Mark Tadic

A ban on rock climbing at Mt. Arapiles in Victoria’s west to protect Aboriginal heritage will devastate local businesses, says Liberal MP for Western Victoria Bev McArthur.

The Allan Labor government is facing pressure from thousands of climbers about its management of land access, with nearby towns Natimak and Horsham to be hit hardest by the climbing prohibitions.