Melissa Parke (Fremantle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Dampier Archipelago is a group of islands located off the northern Pilbara coast of Western Australia which is a vast treasure trove containing the largest concentration of rock art in the world, with an estimated one million petroglyphs, or stone carvings. This area is of great spiritual and cultural significance to Aboriginal groups in the Pilbara region, with a demonstrated occupancy of the area of over 9,000 years, with many extraordinarily diverse and dense archaeological remains such as quarries, food middens and camp sites.

It would be reasonable for Australians and visitors to Australia to assume that such fundamental cultural heritage would be comprehensively studied, catalogued and protected. Unfortunately, with limited exceptions, that is not the case. From the 1960s, the Pilbara region has been exploited for its mineral, oil and gas resources without sufficient regard for its heritage values or adequate consultation with local Aboriginal groups. In 2006, the former Premier of Western Australia Dr Carmen Lawrence stated:

… successive governments—mine included—have failed to appreciate to the global significance of the Peninsula.

The current WA Premier, Colin Barnett, also said back in 2006:

World heritage listing is inevitable … The status of the rock art [makes it] in my opinion without doubt the most important heritage site in WA and possibly the nation.

I seek leave to present a petition initiated by the Friends of Australian Rock Art calling on the government to encourage the WA state government to nominate the Dampier Archipelago for World Heritage listing. I should make clear that this petition has not yet been certified by the Petitions Committee. (Time expired)

Ramsey Rowen (the Deputy Speaker):

The document will be forwarded to the Petitions Committee for its consideration and will be accepted subject to the confirmation of the committee that it conforms with standing orders.