HIDDEN cameras have sparked outrage among rock climbers and bush walkers following reports that visitors in the Grampians/Gariwerd National Park were being monitored.
Parks Victoria confirmed the installation of cameras reportedly located at various popular sites, to primarily monitor climbing activities, angering the climbing community and raising questions about the right to privacy.
One camera was spotted nailed to a tree near the Muline Crag trailhead, which is to the east of Glenisla, slightly north of Buandik in the Victoria Range.
The photos of the camera were posted on the Australian Climbing Association Victoria (ACAV) Facebook page last week.
ACAV secretary, Michael Tomkins, said the surveillance was unnecessary and was potentially a privacy breach.
“I’m sure I can speak for a lot of climbers – we go to these places to get away,” he said.
“It’s accepted you can walk in a town, and you will be monitored by CCTV, but when you’re out in the bush it raises serious privacy concerns.
“You don’t expect to find what you would call spy cameras, in the middle of nowhere.
“All of a sudden there’s something watching you – it also had antennae on it, so its transmitting information as well.”
“Do we have a right to privacy when we’re walking in the bush? There could be sensitive issues on that camera.”
Mr Tomkins said ACAV was regularly in receipt of information from climbers.
“With ACAV, people report things to us,” he said.
“I receive a lot of information from various bushwalkers and climbers.
“Recently I received an anonymous email from a bushwalker about the cameras”
He said a camera was spotted in the tree and the climber photographed it and sent in the photos.
But Mr Tomkins said he first became aware of the hidden cameras last year when one of his climbing associates received a fine in the mail.
“In October last year, somebody received fines in the mail for entering part of the Grampians that was not supposed to be accessed.
“The fine cited camera evidence on the infringement notice.”
He said there were two fines, one was for leaving the roadside – and the second one was for disturbing an archeological site by climbing.
Mr Tomkins said he believed the installation of the hidden cameras was primarily about the rock climbing bans in the Grampians.
He said ACAV had opposed the climbing bans across the National Park since they were introduced in recent years.
“It’s been about five years now that more than three quarters of the Grampians is off limits to rock climbers,” Mr Tomkins said.
“In the rock-climbing community – the Grampians would appear in the top ten climbers’ sites around the world – it’s (the bans) an enormous loss.
“Because we formed this association (ACAV) – we’ve become the focal point of any opposition.”
Mr Tomkins said the introduction of recent climbing restrictions at Mt Arapiles was an example of bans impacting local tourism.
“It is an iconic location,” he said.
“The main central section – it’s requested that you don’t enter. The sign says ‘please keep out’.
“I was there on the weekend, and it was as quiet as I’ve ever seen it.
“It’s put a sadness over everything – there’s this feeling of guilt over the simple act of climbing on rocks.”
Mr Tomkins lamented that the majority of the Victoria Range was also now prohibited and that was compounded by the installation of CCTV.
He believes that cameras were installed primarily to protect cultural and natural valued areas and that it was fundamentally about land rights.
“It’s a very sensitive topic,” Mr Tomkin said.
“This is about land rights.
“It’s clear it’s being driven by a small number of activists.
“Parks Victoria is wrapped up in land rights.
“I would like to highlight the climbing bans started five years ago with a single person activist.
“A single activist can come along and say this is my piece of land and authorities can be beholden to a single activist.”
Mr Tomkins said he didn’t believe that the bans and the cameras were helping Indigenous Australians with respect to Closing the Gap.
“I would say that none of this is helping Aboriginal people.
“The climbing bans and the cameras don’t help anybody.”
He said the cameras were also collecting data.
“They’ve also got counting devices,” Mr Tomkins said.
“They’re counting people accessing the area – I don’t know what they would use the numbers for – if the numbers are low, would they try to attract more, or if the numbers are too high what would they propose? What would the data be used for?
“There’s no transparency with any of this.”
Climbing is still permitted at over 100 designated areas in the Grampians, however, several popular spots, including Spurt Wall and parts of Taipan Wall, are now off-limits.
Those caught violating climb rules could face significant fines up to $346,000.
A spokesperson for Parks Victoria said the cameras were a necessary measure to protect the park’s environment.
“Cameras are used to prevent illegal activities like rubbish dumping or firewood theft,” the spokesperson said.
Parks Victoria’s camera operations are run according to strict procedures and cameras are only installed by authorised officers at specific locations where alleged offences have been reported.
They said all cameras were installed within the requirements of the Surveillance Devices Act 1999 and all information captured by cameras is handled in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2000.
Specifically on climbing matters, Parks Victoria said they would always try to take an education-first approach as they know climbers want to do the right thing when and where they climb.
Parks Victoria don’t release operational details on the number of infringement notices issued, there has been a high level of compliance and respect for the changes to climbing access since they were introduced.
Climbing in a non-designated area would be subject to a fine of two Victorian penalty units.
Parks Victoria recently installed additional track counters at busy access points in Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park to count visitor numbers so that rangers can make informed decisions about resourcing, trail maintenance and conservation.
“Track counters help rangers count visitor numbers and make informed decisions about resourcing, trail maintenance and conservation,” the spokesperson said.
For information on rock climbing in Gariwerd and to access a full list of more than 100 designated climbing areas across the national park, visit parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/grampians-national-park/rock-climbing-in-gariwerd.
