Last week marked a significant milestone in the Dyurrite access process — our first Stakeholder Working Group meetings — and I want to share some honest reflections while the experience is still fresh.
It felt good to do something.
I’ll be candid: one of the hardest parts of the last couple of years has been the feeling of powerlessness. Watching a process unfold around a place so central to our community, without a clear sense of whether our voice mattered, has been genuinely difficult. So sitting at the table last week — being part of the conversation — was meaningful in a way that’s hard to articulate.
But I’m also aware that not everyone got that feeling. And I’m sorry for that. The nature of a structured working group means participation is limited by design, and I know that leaves many in the climbing community still feeling on the outside. That’s a real cost, and I don’t want to dismiss it.
What I will say, gently, is this: those who actively chose not to engage in this process — and that was a choice available to some — have, in my view, forfeited some of their right to feel excluded. The opportunity was there. Engagement was the path to influence.
This process looks like it will work.
I went in cautiously optimistic and came out genuinely encouraged. The process we followed was robust, repeatable, and grounded in fact rather than opinion or advocacy. Decisions were traced back to evidence. Disagreements were worked through methodically. That’s exactly what this kind of high-stakes, multi-stakeholder situation demands.
The cultural heritage deserves special mention.
Signing the NDA to access cultural heritage information was, for me, a privilege — and I mean that word carefully. This is information that, by any reasonable standard, we as climbers have no inherent right to know. It belongs to the Native Title Holders. Having it shared with us in good faith, in the context of this process, was an act of trust that I don’t take lightly. If anything, it deepened my sense of responsibility to get this right.
The relationships that formed.
The beginning of the week was slow. Understandably so — a room full of people from very different worlds, all a little wary of one another. But as the days progressed, something shifted. We realised, collectively, that everyone around that table was respectful, genuinely engaged, and committed to constructive outcomes. By the end, the atmosphere was genuinely warm. I hope those relationships continue, because I think they’re one of the most valuable things to come out of the week.
On that note — I’m hoping to carry those connections forward in a specific direction. I’d love to explore how the cultural knowledge and relationships forged through this process can enrich what school groups and other visitors experience at Dyurrite. I want to be clear though: I have no expectation of, and am not seeking, any monetary benefit from cultural heritage content. That intellectual property belongs to the Native Title Holders, and any benefit derived from it should flow to them. What I’m interested in is a rising tide — more meaningful visits lead to more visits full stop, and that’s good for everyone.
On the noise online.
I’ve seen the Facebook commentary. Some of it reflects genuine anxiety, and I understand that completely — it mirrors exactly how I felt before I was part of this process. That anxiety doesn’t go away just because you can’t see what’s happening inside the room.
But some of what’s being said is, frankly, wide of the mark. It reflects a misunderstanding of how the process actually works — and that’s almost inevitable when people are outside looking in, or when they’ve chosen not to engage.
Here’s what I want to say to anyone still sitting with that anxiety: something is happening. A plan is being built. An outcome will come. Will it be perfect? Of course not — no outcome of this complexity ever is, and there will be detractors no matter what lands on the page. But we are actively working toward a shared future that honours and celebrates this extraordinary place. That matters. And it’s worth something.
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