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Parks Victoria and Traditional Owners have uncovered more Indigenous cultural heritage at Mount Arapiles, and are weighing up how to preserve it.
It comes as another resident says they considering leaving Natimuk over the current and expected restrictions on rockclimbing at the mountain.
In August, Parks Victoria put in place a temporary protection zone at Pharaohs Gully, which includes the popular climbing spot "Around the World".
A spokesman told the Mail-Times a member of the public identified Aboriginal rock art at this location.
He said Parks Victoria and Traditional Owners had recently conducted assessments on six known Aboriginal Rock Art sites at Mount Arapiles.
"During that process, further Aboriginal cultural heritage was also identified," he said.
"We are now working with Barengi Gadjin Land Council to understand what protections may be necessary. All locations with temporary protection zones restricting public access contain Aboriginal Cultural Heritage."
The Mail-Times also asked how many cultural heritage assessments had been conducted at the mountain, and what proportion of these resulted in cultural heritage being found.
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Natimuk resident and climber Michael Woods said he had heard the organisation would soon announce closures at Castle Crag and Mitre Rock. The spokesman did not respond directly when asked about this by the Mail-Times.
Mr Woods said the way restrictions were being enacted was affecting the community's morale.
"Climbers don't climb because it's a fun thing - a hobby - we climb because it's a life passion," he said.
"People are contemplating having to rip their families' roots out of the ground and moving somewhere else. My wife and I have discussed Tasmania or possible far northern New South Wales.
"There were people that were thinking 'Well the Grampians is a bit limited but at least we still have Arapiles'. But we are worried that is all about to end."
In February 2019, Parks Victoria began strictly enforcing eight Special Protection Areas across the national park, covering more than 67,000 hectares.
These prohibit rock climbing and other activities in these areas.
In June, Aboriginal Affairs Minister Gabrielle Williams announced another outcrop at the mountain, Declaration Crag, would receive an interim protection order after rock art was discovered in December. People who enter and damage the area face a $300,000 fine.
In September, the Victorian Climbing Club launched legal action against Parks Victoria of its enforcing of rockclimbing restrictions in the Grampians National Park, a hotspot for Aboriginal rock art in Victoria.
In a statement, Parks Victoria's regional director Jason Borg said: "As in the past, we will communicate any required changes to park access with local community and stakeholder groups.
"When cultural heritage is rediscovered, there is a legislative requirement for it to be protected."
The Victorian government is set to put the draft Greater Gariwerd Landscape Management Plan on public exhibition again later this year.
Parks Victoria has previously said this will likely outline the future of access to sites in the Grampians Special Protection Areas.
The project's timeline suggests the development of the draft plan finished in September.
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