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6 years ago

Australia bans Uluru climbing

Uluru, Australia: Otherwise known as Ayers Rock, the 348m-high sandstone formation in central Australia is 9.4km in circumference and is a natural wonder particularly sacred to aboriginals (AP photo)
Uluru, Australia: Otherwise known as Ayers Rock, the 348m-high sandstone formation in central Australia is 9.4km in circumference and is a natural wonder particularly sacred to aboriginals (AP photo)

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Climbing on Uluru, one of Australia's top tourist destinations, will be banned from October 2019, local authorities have confirmed.  

The board of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park voted unanimously to end the climb over indigenous sensitivities, Australian media outlets said.

The giant red monolith in the Northern Territory is a sacred site for Aboriginal Australians.

The area's traditional owners have long asked visitors not to climb Uluru.

"It is an extremely important place, not a playground or theme park like Disneyland," board chairman Sammy Wilson said on Wednesday.

Only 16% of visitors made the climb between 2011 to 2015, the board said.  

The World Heritage-listed monolith, formerly known as Ayers Rock, was handed back to its traditional owners in 1985. The ban will commence on 26 October, 2019 - the 34th anniversary of the handover.

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Tourism Central Australia said it supported the decision, pointing out that the public could still access much of the site respectfully.

However, not all have supported the idea of a ban in recent times.

Last year, Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles sparked debate when he described the suggestion as "ludicrous".

"We should explore the idea of creating a climb with stringent safety conditions and rules enforcing spiritual respect," Mr Giles, who is Aboriginal, said.

More than 250,000 people visit Uluru each year, according to the national park's website.

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