Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) The Western Australian Government will be responsible for the preparation of the management plan for the proposed Murujuga National Park (which comprises the majority of the Burrup Peninsula). The establishment of the jointly owned national park is pending legislative amendment by the Western Australian Parliament. Western Australian officials have advised that there is no set date for finalisation of the management plan.

(2) The Dampier Archipelago in not on the World Heritage Tentative List. Under the World Heritage Intergovernmental Agreement the preparation of a world heritage nomination is the responsibility of the state or territory in which the place is located. The Western Australian Government has not proposed the Burrup Peninsula for inclusion on Australia's World Heritage Tentative List.

(3) The World Heritage Tentative List was last updated in 2010, and the Environment Protection and Heritage Council agreed that further additions to the tentative list may be considered in 2011 . Australia ' s current tentative list is always available to the public on the World Heritage website ( http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/ ).

(4) A thorough process has been developed and agreed by all Australian governments and includes consideration of the tentative list by a COAG ministerial council.

(5) The department does not have a position on the Western Australian Environment Protection Authority ' s recommendation to the Western Australian Minister for the Environment regarding this proposed facility.