NATIONAL NATIVE TITLE COUNCIL WELCOMES ULURU CLIMB CLOSE

The National Native Title Council (NNTC) welcomes the permanent closing of the Uluru climb this Saturday, which it states is a long overdue request of the Anangu Traditional Owners.

NNTC CEO Jamie Lowe said:

“The Anangu Traditional Owners have made their wishes known for many years, that they don’t want people climbing Uluru, and we’re really pleased they’ve finally been able to formalise that request.

“For the majority of Australians, Uluru has a certain romantic appeal. It’s an iconic part of our tourism and Aussie culture, and whilst climbing it will become a thing of the past, Anangu people still invite visitors to experience the wonder of country and understand the cultural significance of Uluru to Anangu.

“I think for the most part, visitors have been quite respectful. Obviously, we’ve seen a significant influx of tourists since the closing announcement, who’ve rushed to tick it off their bucket list, which is a real disappointment, but I think you need to put those numbers in perspective.

“The climb close is a long time coming and the National Native Title Council hopes this will be the start of a longer-term national conversation on how we can better support Traditional Owners to exercise their decision-making rights as to what happens on their traditional lands.”                   

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