WA Northwest: Anti-whaling protest in Broome and a fight for Rock Art |
| by Elliot K - Perth |
2006-09-06 2:47 AM +0800 |
September 4, 2006: A conservation group has taken a stand against whaling at a festival in Broome, in the north of Western Australia. Meanwhile the battle for the worlds oldest rock art continues...
"If Stonehenge were in the Pilbara, it would no longer exist," she said. "The Government has now assumed the role of covert vandal in order to ride high on the resources boom." |
The event was designed to celebrate the links between the pearling town and the whale slaughtering nation of Japan. Thousands lined the street's of Broome's Chinatown for the start of the 10-day festival of pearls, Shinju Matsuri.
The festival focused on the sister city relationship between Broome and Taiji in Japan. Local green group Environs Kimberley made the most of the occasion, holding up a five-metre model whale and anti-whaling banners during the festival's float parade, which was attended by Japanese dignitaries.
The group's spokeswoman, Maria Mann, has denied it was a provocative move.
"We're not doing it to offend anybody - we're doing it to make a simple statement," she said.
This year's festivities are being sponsored by the Japanese company Inpex, the firm behind a $6 billion liquefied natural gas project off the Kimberley coast.
Meanwhile the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in Western Australia defends its approval of the development of the Pluto Liquefied Natural Gas project on the Burrup Peninsula.
Major oil and gas producer Woodside wants to build a processing facility on the north-west peninsula, which houses what is believed to be the world's biggest collection of aboriginal rock art.
The Greens are outraged at the EPA's decision, and are calling on the state and federal governments to block the development. But EPA chairman Wally Cox says the project is unlikely to compromise environmental or cultural objectives.
But Federal Minister for the Environment Ian Campbell will consider a heritage request for Burrup peninsula. Indigenous claimants, the International Rock Art Federation and the National Trust nominated the site for inclusion on the National Heritage List earlier this year.
Their recommendations aim to protect the peninsula's vast collection of ancient rock art.
Member for the state seat of Burrup Fred Riebeling fears the federal Minister, Senator Ian Campbell, will rule in favour of a heritage listing. He says: "The Commonwealth, if they do it, should be condemned as the biggest economic vandals in the history of Australia," he said.
Robin Chapple, from the National Trust of Western Australia, says heritage listing of rock art on the peninsula would not hamper the state's booming resources industry. "I mean, currently industry is citing the fact that the Burrup is a world heritage area and are choosing to go to Onslow and the Maitland Industrial Estate," he said.
Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said she was also concerned that while the Minister is considering this listing, the Government of Western Australia is about to sign off on the destruction of even more rock art," she said. "Ian Campbell has already spoken out in support of the extraordinary cultural heritage precinct of the Burrup."
Ian Campbell said in June: "I see the value here, I see something quite remarkable, something unique, something that is important for generations to come."
Yet destruction and relocation is still planned by Woodside Energy for one of the most densely carved areas of the Burrup. Trust spokesman Robin Chapple said the proposed site was one of the most concentrated areas, with over 1000 artefacts, some of which will be preserved.
"It's almost obscene that the federal minister is deliberating on heritage values on this place, while the state minister is about to grant approval that would allow industry to build on what is one of the most significant archaeological sites on the Burrup," Mr Chapple said.
The remote Pilbara peninsula has the biggest concentration of ancient rock art in the world, some of which is 30,000 years old, or seven times older than Britain's Stonehenge. A preliminary Australian Heritage Council report, sent to Senator Campbell in May last year, said the entire peninsula qualified for both national and world heritage listing.
Burrup's traditional owners told a July meeting of the state Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee, which oversees site protection, that they opposed any further industrial disturbance of rock art. They called for new industries to move away from the artefacts.
Indigenous author Sally Morgan, who is a claimant on rock art sites near the Burrup, has called for federal intervention to save artefacts.
"If Stonehenge were in the Pilbara, it would no longer exist," she said. "The Government has now assumed the role of covert vandal in order to ride high on the resources boom."
The federal Environment Minister has 20 days to decide whether the Burrup Peninsula should be listed or he may seek further public comment.
Despite the presence of the world's oldest rock art in the area, federal Cabinet is expected to agree to work with the West Australian Government on a new development strategy for the peninsula.
This would allow companies such as Woodside Petroleum, which operates the $19 billion North West Shelf gas project, to press ahead with developments. |
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