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Bonnet Bay Bouldering - Banned

nmonteith

28-May-2014
10:28:36 AM

Word has it (unofficially at this point) that the popular Sutherland Shire (NSW) bouldering cave of Bonnet Bay has been 'closed'. The SRC has been contacted by the Office of Environment and Heritage, who has been made aware of erosion issues and damage to the rock walls.

So please spread the word to avoid this area until we get further information. From my experience of the area there are a couple of problems. Boulderers have created a 'new' direct track to the cave from the Baseball Oval, instead of using the council created path and stone staircase 30m further along. This has eroded quickly. People have also left old mattresses in the cave that rot away and look like trash. This is a pet hate of mine. The base of the cave itself has also been heavily trampled by larger groups, and the obvious midden shells underfoot probably aren't helping our case.

IdratherbeclimbingM9

28-May-2014
10:50:34 AM

It sounds like a lack of respect on a number of fronts.
... Sometimes I think 'modern' climbing is its own worst enemy.

nmonteith

28-May-2014
11:32:51 AM

It's a very suburban area - literally 10m from a housing estate culdesac and squeezed into a 50m strip of bush. Most of the caves in the area are filled with graffiti and bongs.

Big G

28-May-2014
11:37:18 AM

In thousands of years time the bongs, cans, bottles and dirty old mattresses will be protected too

sbm

28-May-2014
11:51:53 AM

On 28/05/2014 nmonteith wrote:
>It's a very suburban area - literally 10m from a housing estate culdesac
>and squeezed into a 50m strip of bush. Most of the caves in the area are
>filled with graffiti and bongs.

I've seen your photo essays on the vast amounts of illegal dumping and general bushland abuse in Sutherland Niel. While I see where Parks is coming from, it's pretty disappointing as climbers are waaay down the list of envirovandals.

Pedro.c

28-May-2014
11:56:54 AM

On 28/05/2014 Big G wrote:
>In thousands of years time the bongs, cans, bottles and dirty old mattresses
>will be protected too

Hah! The historic heritage listed Bonnet Bay Bong, Beer Bottle, & Bouldering Mattress Midden

BBSR

28-May-2014
4:17:41 PM

>>In thousands of years time the bongs, cans, bottles and dirty old mattresses
>>will be protected too
>
>Hah! The historic heritage listed Bonnet Bay Bong, Beer Bottle, & Bouldering
>Mattress Midden

Might have to wait a while on the preservation of the mattresses and bongs as a few of us did a clean up a year or so ago and removed the ones that were there before. Most of the rubbish there should be new.

Snacks

29-May-2014
11:35:21 AM

On 28/05/2014 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:
>It sounds like a lack of respect on a number of fronts.
>... Sometimes I think 'modern' climbing is its own worst enemy.
>

There's been regular gatherings of boulderers with a beers and bbq theme... which sounds like a good idea... except rather than doing it in actual council reserved bbq areas it's been done at the base of the crag where the walking track upto the bouldering area is.

Though, voicing any objection to this on the bouldering page where this gets organised has resulted in several people being sworn at, their posts deleted and/or deleted from the group...

nmonteith

29-May-2014
5:39:48 PM

I posted a few photos and a blurb on Facebook today

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.802093719814690&type=1

SRC Access Officer

19-Jun-2014
8:41:58 AM

Hi all

I have been asked by the Office of Environment and Heritage to post the following notice:

Bonnets Bay Cavern (bouldering area) is officially closed due to the ‘significant environmental sensitivity’ of the area. If anyone is found to be climbing in the area this would be considered to be an offence under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 as it would constitute ‘harm’ to the significant area, under the act. Penalties under the act could be as large as a $275 000 fine and/or 1 year imprisonment.

I am informed that a Council Ranger will be regularly patrolling the area.

I appreciate that this is a special place to many climbers. Upon further investigation, I note that the Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System indicates that there are a number of recorded Aboriginal sites in this vicinity (http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/licences/AboriginalHeritageInformationManagementSystem.htm)

Please bear in mind when posting any response or further comments that people who make decisions regarding where we can and cannot climb may well be monitoring these forums.

Please feel free to PM me with any questions.

Regards
Andrew
SRC Access Officer

maxdacat

19-Jun-2014
9:07:52 AM

So climber getting chalk on the rock is a no no but the council sawing through rocks is ok....mmmm?

I understand the ecological issues with the midden but I think if you ban one activity you should also ban the other.

That has to be some of the ugliest track building i've seen.....there is a lot of good stuff out there so how do they get it so wrong?

kuu

19-Jun-2014
4:39:14 PM

On 28/05/2014 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:
>It sounds like a lack of respect on a number of fronts.
>... Sometimes I think 'modern' climbing is its own worst enemy.
>
And if we continue to sh1t in our own nest sooner or later there'll be a stink.

There are 12 messages in this topic.