Tensions Fray As Council Reviews Ben Buckler Rope

By Tom Penistone on March 6, 2014 in

When looking out across the sand at North Bondi, it is not unfamiliar to see a group of muscle-bound gentlemen congregating around the base of Ben Buckler Point.

Above them, a thick battle rope, some four stories high can be seen dangling in the wind.

One by one, the men attempt their assent up the face of the cliff using only their strength of grip as safety.

To your average Joe, these feats of strength look incredibly dangerous, but to the men who use the rope regularly it is seen as a pretty harmless pursuit.

That is until Dimitri Moskovich, a regular of the rope-climbing contingent, lost concentration on the rope and fell to the rocks below, breaking both legs in the process.

Following Mr. Moskovich’s accident, Waverley Council has decided to review the safety of the rope.

Mayor Sally Betts understands that extreme sports are popular in the area, but stressed that they are not condoned by Waverley Council.

“Although there are people who enjoy extreme sports, Council does not authorise or support any of this kind of activity at Ben Buckler Point, or anywhere in Waverley. These sports are obviously very dangerous, not only for the participants but for the people who have to rescue them if something goes wrong,” she said.

One of the main concerns the council has with sports of this nature is the unnecessary strain it can place on public services, especially at such a busy time of the year.

“Our lifeguards often respond to these incidents, which diverts their resources away from the beach, when they are already so busy. Additionally, the police, ambulance service and the SES on occasions are called as part of the rescue,” Cr. Betts added.

Many of the rope climbers are members of the Bondi Bar Brutes club who train together at the outdoor workout facility next to the North Bondi Surf Lifesaving Club.

One member of the Bar Brutes who wished to remain anonymous spoke about how much the rope climb meant to the group.

“It would upset a lot of people if they stopped us from climbing there. If you know what you’re doing it’s not dangerous at all. It’s a great exercise for your core and overall body strength,” he said.

Although not deterred, he said he hadn’t seen the rope being used since Mr. Moskovich’s accident.

“Definitely I would still do it, but I haven’t seen the rope up since Dimitri broke his legs, which I think was over three weeks ago,” he said.

While Waverley Council is reviewing the recent incident with the police, Cr. Betts stressed that they are more concerned about the safety of the public than any potential lawsuits.

“In this case there are protections under the provisions of the Civil Liability Act because the activity was an obvious risk. Protections exist because the person injured in this incident would have presumed to be aware of the risk of harm. We are most concerned about Mr. Moskovich and hope he recovers well,” he said.

While they’re still waiting to hear the outcome of the Waverley Council inquest, the general feeling among the rope climb participants is that there is a dangerous element to almost any sport and that this incident was just a one off.

Mr. Moskovich himself is said to be recovering well and can still be seen down at the North Bondi outdoor workout facility several mornings a week helping others with their workouts.