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General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

Self Regulation - What does it mean to you? 15-Jul-2012 At 5:46:01 PM Reluctant

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I have dealt with this issue in both sport and industry. The issue is not if a body should but when to produce a "Code of practice" for self reg. The time and purpose of self reg and a code of practice is to set the tone of the debate, restrictions, conditions, etc in your favour.
There will be those who beat their chest and talk down any talk of an authority over their activities. That is the take my ball and go home response. I put forward the idea of take the high ground by imposing "some" restrictions via a code of practice before the knee jerk reaction of government bodies creates so many hoops to jump through it has the end effect of a "closed season" that does not seem to lift.
I often find the bolting argument interesting for a side on reason. The discussion covers the install, removal, replacement, etc. on rock faces that are predominately on crown land. Many in national parks.Has anyone ever surveyed the wider community how they think of this activity? A quick straw poll by me found disbelief. Four wheel drivers are having areas closed, campers cant touch firewood or camp in open park (approved grounds only), bushwalkers are being restricted to trails or boardwalks - while climbers take battery drills and grinders at will and without agreement amongst themselves.
There will be losers with implementation of a code. But the gains can be considerable. Best case I can find to compare would be the fishing industry in port Phillip bay. Recreational fishing lobby joined with conservationists to set a license system for fishing in Victoria. They took that pain so they could fund the study and compensation package to get scollop dredging pushed out of the bay. Bay recovered, fish stocks increased, fisheries dept got boats to enforce bag limit. Looking back it all makes common sense and yet at the time it was the end of the world to "pay to fish". The fresh water fisherman had always had a license system and so the equity card got played. I don't know of many recreational fishers who belong to clubs. The retailers and wholesalers of fishing equipment were and still are the drivers of the recreational fishing lobby. As a boy I lived near the old Jarvis Walker factory in Deepdeen. It was small and supplied maybe 6 specialty fishing stores in Melbourne. Now there is one in every second suburb. Those with a financial interest must take the lead in producing a code and then lobbying for implementation and the associated resources.
I'm not advocating a climbing licence. I would however suggest a register (online) of use for all areas. This would provide data of use etc, that could be used to show code of practice in action, size of community, rates of use, peak times, etc in order to get funding, change in park management, facilities updated/maintained. This might also include bolting plans or specific code of practice per site details.
An organised community gets funding and other resources. Also retains access when another community tries to get you banned. Sport, trad, bolts, no bolts, novice or expert all means nothing if you don't have access.
Set the terms, take some pain, set a code, keep the access. The sport is growing and controls, while not desired, are required.