Australia bans Uluru climbing


BBC | Published: November 01, 2017 10:37:34 | Updated: November 02, 2017 13:10:32


Uluru, Australia: Otherwise known as Ayers Rock, the 348m-high sandstone formation in central Australia is 9.4km in circumference and is a natural wonder particularly sacred to aboriginals (AP photo)

Climbing on Uluru, one of Australia's top tourist destinations, will be banned from October 2019, local authorities have confirmed.  

The board of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park voted unanimously to end the climb over indigenous sensitivities, Australian media outlets said.

The giant red monolith in the Northern Territory is a sacred site for Aboriginal Australians.

The area's traditional owners have long asked visitors not to climb Uluru.

"It is an extremely important place, not a playground or theme park like Disneyland," board chairman Sammy Wilson said on Wednesday.

Only 16% of visitors made the climb between 2011 to 2015, the board said.  

The World Heritage-listed monolith, formerly known as Ayers Rock, was handed back to its traditional owners in 1985. The ban will commence on 26 October, 2019 - the 34th anniversary of the handover.

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Tourism Central Australia said it supported the decision, pointing out that the public could still access much of the site respectfully.

However, not all have supported the idea of a ban in recent times.

Last year, Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles sparked debate when he described the suggestion as "ludicrous".

"We should explore the idea of creating a climb with stringent safety conditions and rules enforcing spiritual respect," Mr Giles, who is Aboriginal, said.

More than 250,000 people visit Uluru each year, according to the national park's website.

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