An activist has become the first person to be fined for defying a ban on climbing at a sacred indigenous site.
Marc Hendrickx climbed the Wollumbin-Mount Warning summit trail near Murwillumbah in northern New South Wales on Australia Day despite the track having been closed to the public since 2020.
Mr. Hendrickx, a member of the advocacy group Right to Climb, and several of its members We reached the summit in time to see the sunrise on January 26th.
The group ignored several signs left by local indigenous groups along the way warning hikers to turn back or risk fines.
Mount Warning was “temporarily” closed to the public in early 2020, but remains closed to this day with hikers fearing it could become “the next Uluru”.
The Wollumbin Advisory Group has been campaigning for the mountain to remain permanently closed. all except a select group of indigenous male members.
Despite this, Mr Hendrickx proudly shared photos of his group holding signs at the summit advocating for its reopening.
He received a $300 fine for the stunt, which was sent to him by express mail on Friday, a day before a planned protest at the base of Mount Warning to mark the 95th anniversary of the site’s declaration as a national park.
Marc Hendrickx has become the first person to be fined for climbing the Wollumbin-Mount Warning summit trail near Murwillumbah in northern New South Wales.
The climbing activist reached the top of the mountain on Australia Day with a group of protesters opposed to Mount Warning’s current ban on hikers.
Mr Hendrickx was fined for breaching the National Parks and Wildlife Regulations 2019 by entering “a park that is closed to the public”.
The activist said the timing of the fine was suspicious considering he had climbed the mountain months ago and it happened a day before his planned protest.
“Having a fine appear now seems like they’re trying to instill some fear in the community… to make sure people don’t go up the mountain,” he said. The courier mail.
“I thought that if they were going to fine me, they would have done it at the time, but they didn’t,” he said.
Mr. Hendrickx’s offense carries a maximum fine of more than $3,000, which he managed to avoid.
A spokesman for the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service said a second person from the Australia Day group had also been fined.
They added that anyone who ignored the climbing ban “would be subject to appropriate law enforcement.”
“We appreciate that there has been uncertainty in the community about the time it will take to resolve this issue,” read a statement provided to the publication.
“However, it is important to ensure that all stakeholders, including Aboriginal custodians, are adequately consulted on the future management of Wollumbin National Park.”
However, Mr Hendrickx said he would not capitulate to this “intimidation” and still intended to deliver his opening speech at the protest.
Another activist group, Save Our Summits, will host the event which is expected to attract up to 100 protesters and It will feature a speech by New South Wales MP John Ruddick.
Mr Ruddick submitted a petition to parliament calling for the immediate reopening of the Mount Wollumbin summit trail earlier this year.
Mr Hendrickx was fined $300 for his actions via express mail on Friday, which he called “intimidation” as he was due to attend a protest for the reopening of the mountain the following day.
Mount Warning was originally closed in 2020 to comply with social distancing laws, but this closure has since been extended several times for various other reasons.
Mr. Hendrickx has become the face of the Mount Warning closure controversy through a series of public appearances since he was detained by a park officer. ranger in January.
He said he will look for ‘further clarification’ on his fine, which Sydney radio host Ben Fordham already offered to pay in March.
The Wollumbin Trail once hosted over 100,000 climbers a year and attracted more than 10 million dollars annually.
From April to October last year, private security guards received a salary of… $7,000 a week to ensure that climbers could not attempt to reach the summit.
In total, nearly $200,000 was spent on protecting the mountain and security is still called upon today on occasions such as New Year’s Eve and Australia Day.
It was initially closed to comply with social distancing orders during the coronavirus pandemic, but the closure has since been Extended several times.
Reasons for the extensions include safety concerns about the condition of the trail and that the walk went against the wishes of local indigenous custodians.
In 2022, the NSW Department of National Parks recommended handing over full management of the Tweed Coast site to the small Wollumbin Advisory Group, which supports a ban on visits to the popular hiking spot.