Annual General Meeting- Presidents Report 2024-2025

Thanks to all SOS members for their continuing support and commitment in our mission to preserve public access to the nation’s highest points. While we have had considerable success this year in protecting access, especially in QLD, the threat of closures across the country remains real and we need to continue to ensure our voices are heard at the highest levels to preserve access for everyone.

Events and achievements 2024-2025

-SOS Webinar series -Three episodes were successfully broadcast live

December 2024 (Mike Tomkins ACAV),

February 2025 – SOS Australia Day Photo Competition Results

March 2025 (Peter Smith – Access for all).

Further episodes will appear over the next 12 months.

-Australia Day Photo Competition.

The SOS Australia Day photo competition was held on 26 January 2025 and attracted a smaller number of entries than anticipated. We will look at running a similar competition in 2026, with improved marketing to attract more entries.

-Success in QLD

Release of QLD government documents through a SOS FOI request in February resulted in a dramatic and welcome statement from the QLD Environment Minister Andrew Powell related to public access to Glass House Mountains summits and public access to QLD National Parks in general. The documents revealed the previous QLD Labor government were well into making plans to ban public access at Mt Beerwah and limiting access to Mt Tibrogargan and Mt Coolum and other summits. Following release of the documents, Minister Powell publicly stated “My response is that there will be categorically no closure to Mount Beerwah on a permanent basis, nor, for that matter, any other of the Glasshouse Mountain peaks or for that matter, any national park.” The Minister’s announcement gained significant media coverage. In September following further petitioning by SOS on clauses in park management plans that provide for closures on intangible cultural grounds, Minister Powell indicated management plans for the Glass House will be reviewed. SOS and interested members of the public will need to be alert for calls for public submissions when this occurs. We should be very proud of this outcome as it would not have happened without SOS. The actions of the QLD government are in stark contrast to the way public access in being managed in NSW and Victoria.

-Advocacy in NSW

SOS promoted a petition by Tony Crook (Outside podcast) submitted to the NSW Legislative Council that closed in March 2025. The petition calling for fair recreational access to NSW National Parks and forests attracted 27,230 signatures and resulted in a parliamentary debate

in May. SOS president attended in support. The result has been the establishment of a NSW Select Committee on Access Restrictions to Public Lands and Waterways headed by Shooters and Fishers Member Mark Banasiak. SOS provided a lengthy submission to the committee and hope to be further involved in public hearings. The committee received 200 submissions from various groups – some of them hostile to public access. The timeline for completion of the committee is prior the 2027 NSW state election.

-Access to Mt Warning

In August questions posed by Libertarian MLC John Ruddick at Budgets estimates hearings forced a concession about the timing of access decisions at Mt Warning. The Minister Penny Sharpe gave assurances that it would be announced prior to the next NSW state election in

March 2027. While it is disappointing that the Minister and NPWS continue to stall and delay for no good reason, this is the first time a conclusive date has been announced. SOS will continue to pressure the NSW government to restore public access to the mountain’s summit.

-Mt Warning Heritage Nomination

The Mt Warning Summit Track and Lookouts were nominated for NSW Heritage listing in May. A reply from the NSW Heritage Committee came

back in late July indicating the Mount Warning Summit Track and Lookouts may be of State significance for one criterion only. According to Heritage NSW “It is not a current priority for progression to a full assessment”.

-Community Engagement

I presented to the English Speaking Union in May about 20 people attended and there was good feedback from the group. Andrew Flanagan assisted with a school educational experience in the Glass House Mountains in August and we should look to further opportunities to provide the climber’s perspective to schools and community groups. I ran as a Libertarian candidate in the NSW Hornsby by election on 19 October 2024. Public access to parks and places of wonder was a major part of the election platform. While I only achieved a vote of 3% many voters were made aware of the ban at Mt Warning and threats to access elsewhere. T-shirt give aways for climbing stories to our social media pages are receiving good feedback and will continue.

-Online Presence

Our online presence continues to grow. Our facebook group is now over 3900 members and we thank members who have put so much time and effort into increasing our social media presence. Setup of SOS on other platforms (Instagram) should help promote the association and spread our message.

-Committee updates

Our first Secretary Donna Muller resigned in March and her role has been taken up most ably by Tessa Stafford. Thankyou Donna for your efforts and continued support, and my heartfelt thanks to Tessa for taking up this most important role. We would not be able to function without her. Thanks also to our Treasurer Andrew Flanagan for your commitment during the year. I thank all the committee members and non-committee members for their passion and assistance with events and their commitment and ideas about how the organisation can increase its reach. A special vote of thanks to Alan Keen and to Anna Power for her most generous donation and support.

-Ongoing challenges

While the situation surrounding public access to summits has improved greatly in QLD the situation remains dire in many other parts of the country. World-class rock-climbing areas in Victoria at Mt Arapiles and the Grampians remain under threat of permanent far-reaching bans. Mt Warning remains in a state of limbo with no decision expected prior to March. Prospective bans to access to the summit of St Mary Peak in the Flinders ranges remain in place. Ayer Rock remains off limits. Current political trends in NSW, Victoria and at National level are moving against public access to our parks, forests and summits. In NSW proposals to hand over 100% of the National Park estate to local Aboriginal land councils remain in play and will have far reaching impacts on public access. Similarly the Victorian Treaty legislation which looks to be passed in November will also likely result in substantial access restrictions to public lands. With this in mind, the role of SOS in protecting public access to our places of wonder is never more relevant and we must continue to promote and petition governments and others to ensure our rights of access are preserved and protected.

THANKYOU

Marc Hendrickx

 We acknowledge and pay respect to the actions, sacrifice, wisdom, traditions, mistakes and curiosity of our ancestors. Their collective efforts over centuries helped evolve our western civilisation, giving birth to the liberal society that makes this communication possible. 

If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants. Isaac Newton