General News
15 November, 2024
Climbers left hanging, but spare a thought for the future of Natimuk
Climbers have been left hanging after it was announced there would be bans on climbing at Mt Arapiles.
But while climbers express their anger and frustration, spare a thought for Natimuk residents, many of them climbers, who are dreading the impact on their town.
It follows the State Government releasing a management plan for Mt Arapiles, with a proposal to close about half of the climbing routes along with the Pines campground.
Located just 13km from Mt Arapiles, both businesses and the community of the small town are expecting to feel the hit.
Wimmera Mallee News contacted numerous businesses this week, but instead of speaking of their fears for their businesses individually they said they were concerned about the future of their town.
"I can see it impacting all of the town - the CFA members, kinder, primary school, in staff as there are a lot of doctors, teachers who are involved in climbing, and are they going to stay," an employee at a Natimuk paper shop said.
"It's not just climbers; these people have jobs and lives in town and that is of concern to all of us - are we going to lose these people?
"And once they go, things like house prices will change, impacting the community as a whole."
It would be expected The Climbing Shop would experience the biggest fall, though, of all the businesses locally, given its purpose, so owner Wayne Webb was also concerned about the flow-on effect on his beloved region.
"Any impact on my business will be bad because often for my climbing gear I have to forecast in advance of a year what I am buying," Mr Webb said.
"For my business it could be completely devastating, but I think eventually the impact will be to the community - the professionals in the climbing world who will leave the town."
Mr Webb said he had heard of one business locally that had 32 employees who were avid climbers, and another local school, which was experiencing shortages of staff, had 12 climbers who might now leave the Wimmera because of the climbing closure.
"It's just madness, absolutely outrageous," Mr Webb said.
As the expression goes - the proof is in the pudding and a doctor reached out to Wimmera Mallee News to demonstrate the consequences of the ban on climbing.
"I am a passionate rock climber who has been climbing at Mount Arapiles for over 10 years," Dr Alex MacAdam said.
"It holds a centrality in my life that all else pales in comparison to.
"As a medical doctor, it has been my plan to move to the Wimmera in order to balance those two fields in which I have dedicated my life - medicine and climbing.
"I was in the market to buy a home in Natimuk, and work as an Emergency Department Doctor in Horsham, to dedicate my skills to the region.
"Unfortunately, I am now rethinking these plans, entirely due to the impending rock climbing bans at Mount Arapiles."
Dr MacAdam said he knows of at least 20 other young professionals (doctors, teachers, and lawyers) who are in a similar situation.
"These closures will lead to a mass exodus of skilled professionals," he said.
"Preserving climbing access is essential for the sustainability of the Natimuk community."