The closure of the Uluru climb is an important moment for reconciliation in Australia.

It marks respect for Aboriginal culture and will become one of the defining stories of our nations healing, coming together and maturity.

The Anangu traditional owners have been asking people not to climb since Uluru was handed back in 1985.

Signs asking people to respect this request have been at the base of the rock since 1992.

36 people have died climbing the rock this toll, and the inevitability of future injury has weighed heavily on the Anangu.

In 2010, the Anangu announced their intention to close the climb once fewer than 20 per cent of visitors chose to scale Uluru.

In 2017 the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Board of Management decided the climb would close on 26 October 2019.

Since the early 1990s the number of visitors climbing the rock has declined from 74 per cent to 16 per cent.

Uluru is an incredibly sacred place and part of dreaming that stretches far across Australia.

Uluru is central to First Nations people, culture and spirituality and will always be there for all Australians to enjoy.

MEDIA RELEASE - 25 OCTOBER 2019