New Year sunrise at Mt Warning back on the horizon for 2028
For decades climbing Mt Warning to be the first to greet the New Year sunrise was a defining local ritual.
That tradition will not return this week. But for the first time in years, there is renewed hope it may return.
The NSW Government has confirmed the Wollumbin summit track will remain closed until June 30, 2027, while work continues on safety upgrades and cultural consultation.
In a statement issued yesterday, Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the closure had been extended “with a view to reopening the summit once practical safety and culturally appropriate options are resolved.”
“I understand extending the temporary closure will disappoint some visitors,” the Minister said.
“However, a number of practical challenges – such as ensuring safe access – must still be addressed.”
The statement confirms the Government will now actively work toward reopening the summit.
Tweed councillor Kimberly Hone says that commitment follows years of sustained campaigning.
Ms Hone has worked closely with members of the Narragakwal clan and other recognised local traditional owners, advocating for reopening the track in a way that is both safe and culturally respectful.
She says the closure was deeply personal.
“It’s emotional,” she said.
“I don’t think people realise how much connection and memory is tied to places like Mt Warning, for indigenous and non-indigenous people alike.”
Ms Hone says none of her three children have ever been able to climb the mountain, despite her having done it many times before its closure in March 2020.
“That loss of shared experience is what’s driven me,” she said.
She argues the debate has often been misrepresented.
Ms Hone says while the closure was publicly framed as being supported by Aboriginal stakeholders, many of those voices did not belong to local clans with cultural authority over the mountain.
Pictured, Sturt Davis Boyd, Page MP Kevin Hogan, Max Murphy and Kimberly Hone pictured outside the wall erected at the base of the mountain to keep people out. Max was one of the original rangers responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the tourist attraction.
She claims some opposition came from groups or individuals without a direct or recognised custodial role.
Ms Hone, who has twice contested the Federal seat of Richmond for the Nationals, likened the situation to the recent decision by the Albanese Government to halt a gold mine near Blayney in the state’s Central West.
In that case, recognised Wiradjuri traditional owners publicly rejected claims made by a splinter Indigenous group, which relied on fabricated cultural narratives.
She believes the Mt Warning closure followed a similar pattern.
“This has never been about ignoring culture, rather it’s about listening to the right people.”
Ms Hone says local knowledge holders have long supported managed public access, provided it is done respectfully.
She credits years of advocacy by community campaigners and the rightful traditional owners for shifting the Government’s position.
“Sustained pressure, public scrutiny and political advocacy eventually forced the issue back onto the agenda.
“There’s been abuse, accusations and a lot of personal cost,” she said.
“But people refused to give up.”
Despite welcoming the Minister’s statement, Ms Hone remains cautious.
She says delaying reopening until mid-2027 conveniently removes the issue from the NSW Government’s agenda ahead of the March 2027 state election.
Tweed is widely regarded as a seat Labor hopes to win from the Nationals.
“It pushes the decision past the election,” she said.
“But at least now there is a timeline and an acknowledgement that reopening is the goal.”
She says significant work remains.
The track requires major restoration after years of neglect, flood damage and overgrowth.
Further Indigenous consultation is also needed, which she says must involve all rightful custodians.
One unresolved issue is the final ascent.
The last 200 metres to the summit involves steep rock climbing and traditionally relied on a fixed chain.
Ms Hone says restoring that chain is essential.
“My concern is that the track must go all the way to the summit,” she said.
“Stopping short would defeat the purpose.”
If the current timetable holds, locals could once again climb Mt Warning to greet the New Year in 2028.
Ms Hone says that possibility makes the long wait worthwhile.
“It puts something back that was taken away,” she said.
“And it gives the next generation a chance to experience it properly.”
