Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, upon notice, on 24 November 2010:

With reference to the Burrup (Murujuga) Peninsula which contains more than a million rock art engravings (petroglyphs) estimated to be up to 30 000 years old and, noting that on 3 July 2007 the area was listed as a National Heritage place by the Federal Government, there are concerns about the long delay in nominating the Burrup Peninsula for World Heritage listing, in addition to the continuous damage to the Burrup rock art:

(1) What is the current heritage status of the Burrup Peninsula.

(2) Of the 117 square kilometres covered by the Burrup Peninsula, how much is actually protected by National Heritage listing, as a percentage and surface area.

(3) When will the Aboriginal heritage management plan for the Burrup Peninsula being led by the Western Australian Department of Indigenous Affairs be finalised.

(4) Can a copy of the current management plan for the Burrup Peninsula be provided, including a breakdown of the level of funding and resources allocated to it.

(5) How is compliance and enforcement of the management plan currently being enacted.

(6) Is the Minister or the department aware of any vandalism, theft and graffiti of petroglyphs at the Burrup Peninsula.

(7) In regard to vandalism and potential theft of an Aboriginal petroglyph on the Burrup Peninsula and photographs contained in 2010-09-22 New Vandalism in Kangaroo Paw Valley.pdf at http://www.robinchapple.org.au/node/460:   (a)   is the Minister or the department aware of the graffiti and attempted theft at this location; if so, what is the Minister doing to stop these illegal acts; if not, why not; and   (b)   what action is the Minister taking to ensure that the identified geometric petroglyph is protected from theft.

(8) Have any investigations been conducted by the department on any other acts of vandalism, theft and/or graffiti of petroglyphs at the Burrup Peninsula.

(9) As the lead agency responsible for protection and management of national heritage places, what action will the department take to protect the site from future acts of vandalism or theft.

(10) Will rangers be appointed to protect the rock art.

(11) When will an information and interpretation centre be built at the site.

(12) When will the tentative Australian list for World Heritage listing be finalised.

(13) Has the Burrup Peninsula been proposed for the list or is it likely to be proposed for the tentative list.

(14) Is the department aware that for monuments and sites to be included on the

World Heritage List they must satisfy at least one of six criteria, and that the age and quantity of the unique rock art of the Dampier Archipelago meets four criteria.

(15) Will the Minister disclose the response of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to the Federal Government's recent World Heritage listing nomination of solely 19 non-Aboriginal convict buildings.

(16) Is it correct that UNESCO is of the view that Australia should nominate more prehistoric rock art sites.

(17) Does the Federal Government therefore propose to nominate the Dampier Archipelago (the world's largest and oldest outdoor rock art gallery) for UNESCO World Heritage listing; if not, why not.

(18) When will the department follow up on the letter that the then Federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Dr David Kemp, wrote to the Western Australian Minister Dr Judy Edwards MLA on 26 March 2003 with respect to the Commonwealth Government nominating some or all of the Dampier Archipelago and the Burrup non-industrial land to the World Heritage List.

(19) Noting that the Premier of Western Australia, Mr Colin Barnett, recently said on the SBS program Living Black on 10 October that 'I have no doubt that the Burrup Peninsula will ultimately receive World Heritage listing however there is still a lot of work to be done of a scientific nature, in terms of cataloguing and recording', what action will the department take to assist in this process.

(20) Is the department concerned that the Western Australian Government continues to grant leases to dangerous industries on the Burrup, including the current application for an ammonium nitrate plant which triggered a record number of submissions to the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority due to its potential to destroy large amounts of rock art on the Burrup.

(21) Did federal approval of the $12 billion Pluto LNG plant include the protection of heritage values in the area.

(22) Is the department aware of reports that in February 2008 Woodside Petroleum cleared approximately 900 rock art carvings in preparation for the building of its Pluto LNG plant.

(23) Is the department aware that since the 1960s at least 10 000 petroglyphs on the Burrup Peninsula have been destroyed or relocated due to the heavy industrialisation in the area.