Minutes of first meeting
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This is the minutes from the meeting held at KP on 20 Dec 1999, to formulate plans to 
have Crookneck re-opened.

This document was sourced from the online version which can be found at:
http://www.tweak.webcentral.com.au/uqrc/crookneck/minutes.htm

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At the meeting on Monday the 20th of December 1999 held at the Kangaroo Point Cliffs, 
convened by climbers to address the recent closure of Mt. Coonowrin by the Dept of 
Environment in the Glass House Mountains, there was a decision by persons present to 
send letters to the appropriate Government Heads of Department and media stating our 
concern about the closure of a "National Park" to recreation groups without any prior 
consultation by the District Manager of the North Coast National Parks (Mr John 
Williams) of the Department of Environment.

At this meeting it was decided to make a list of addresses for concerned individuals 
to write to and points to be made in the letters. Please try to be diplomatic, aggressive 
letters may work against us! 

The Minister of the Environment, Heritage and Natural Resources,
Mr Rod Welford,
PO Box 456,
Brisbane, 4002,
Fax 07-3210-6214
Email - Environment&Natural@ministerial.qld.gov.au

The Premier of Queensland,
Mr Peter Beattie,
PO Box 185,
Brisbane, 4002

The Editor
The Courier Mail
GPO Box 130,
Brisbane, 4001
E-mail - cmletters@qnp.newsltd.com.au

When writing to the Courier Mail you must include a date, full address and daytime 
telephone number. Be precise, to the point and write no more that a maximum of 300 
words, otherwise they will not publish it. Remember you are writing the letter so 
that public pressure is put onto the Department of Environment (National Parks Service) 
to change its decision of closure. We need to get as many letters as possible published 
to achieve that.

The following are suggestions of what points to argue in your letters as to why Mt. 
Coonowrin should be reopened. The Courier Mail inserted a public notice by the 
Department of Environment ("DOE") re the closure of Mount Coonowrin on Tuesday, 
14 December 1999:

• We are aware that there is a risk of rockfall, that is not the reason for the 
objection.

• The point is that this closure was affected without any public consultation by DOE 
whatsoever, the existence of the geological assessment was not disclosed to us until 
Monday, 13 December 1999 and yet DOE received the assessment in April 1999. 

• Point out that we as a specific user group, accept responsibility for our actions and 
accept that there is high risk in the activity, our skills help us manage that risk. 
That there has been no litigation from any climbers involved in climbing accidents in 
Australia (litigation has come from the tourist sector). 

• Duty of care by government should not encroach into a natural environment.

• Point out that the South East Queensland Rockclimbing and Abseiling Management 
Forum exists specifically to bring together land managers and concerned user groups 
(climbers) in a consultative way to address any concerns between climbers and land 
managers. 

• Make the suggestion that a clear sign at the car park and one a the track to Salmon’s 
Leap are sufficient to alert any user (climber or bushwalker) of the inherent danger 
of rockfall, that is all that should be required to fulfil their perceived duty of care. 

Your may like to send a copy of your letters to the Federal Leader of the Opposition, 
Mr Kim Beazley c/o Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600 marked "for your reference", 
that way he is aware that there is trouble brewing in Queensland.

If you have any queries please contact one of the following climbers:
Scott Camps 		07-3394-4385 (home) or c/o Silk Road 07-3257-4177 
John Gardner 		07-5426-8288 (home) 
Gareth Llewellin 	c/o K2 Base Camp 07-3285-1340