People Planet Peace

Greens urge State Government to nominate Burrup for the World Heritage List

Greens MP for the Mining and Pastoral region Robin Chapple MLC introduced a motion into parliament yesterday urging the Barnett government to finally nominate the Dampier Archipelago for inclusion in the World Heritage List. 

"The ancient Aboriginal rock art on the Burrup Peninsula makes the Dampier Archipelago one of the most important heritage sites in Western Australia, if not the world."

"There are thousands of carvings there that date back to the ice age. This makes the Dampier Archipelago a place of immense cultural and historical significance."

"The fact that it is not already on the World Heritage List is a disgrace."

"Thankfully Colin Barnett has spoken out on many occasions about the importance of protecting the rock art on the Dampier Archipelago." Mr Chapple said.

"We trust that Mr Barnett will make good on those words and finally move to protect this incredibly significant heritage site."

"Already a number of the carvings have been stolen or damaged. This represents a tremendous loss on a global level."

"To fail to take action, when we know full well the importance of this place, would be a tragedy of epic proportions."

For more information please contact Robin Chapple MLC on 0409 379 263.

Enclosed: Colin Barnett's previous quotes on the importance of protecting the rock art on the Dampier Archipelago.

·                         22.08.08, 720 morning radio: "...preserving and protecting the ancient rock art on the Burrup Peninsula. It's an important issue, probably the most important heritage site in Australia. I took that up in Opposition."

·                         31.05.07, The West: "World heritage listing is inevitable. But you would not think we are some struggling third world country which needs to be dictated to as to how it deals with its heritage. The status of the rock art, (makes it) in my opinion, without doubt the most important heritage site in WA and possibly the nation. It is up there with Uluru."

·                         31.05.07, GWN TV news: "You've got to question the [Liberal] Federal Government when they have a process of saying 'well, we will list it, but we won't list it until after the site has been cleared for the Pluto project'. I mean how third world is that?"

·                         22.12.06, 720 morning radio: "Sadly, it appears to me that neither a Federal Liberal Government nor State Labor Government is prepared to make the decisions to protect this rock art. And it's not rocket science, there are a number of commonsense things that should be done to make sure that we accept our responsibility, a world responsibility, and that's to protect the most unique and largest collection of rock art in the world."

·                         22.12.06, 720 morning radio: "The Australian and state governments would need to go down that path [of a world heritage listing], and sooner or later that will happen."

·                         28.11.06, 720 morning radio: "It's inevitable … absolutely inevitable that the rock art on the Burrup Peninsula will not only receive national heritage listing, it will probably get world heritage listing before too long."

·                         28.11.06, 720 morning radio: "The rock art that has been lost, and it's happened over the last 25 years or so, has been lost because of the physical destruction, the clearing of sites. And we have a responsibility, it seems to me, in the 21st century, as a first world economy, to make sure that we do get the benefits of the development of the gas resource, but we also have a wider responsibility to protect this ancient rock art. It is of immense international significance."

·                         25.06.06, 60 Minutes TV: "People are trying to pretend that the rock art isn't there. What I'm saying is 'this is of world significance'."

·                         01.05.06, 6PR afternoons: "The rock carvings on the Burrup Peninsula are anywhere from probably 8,000 to 15,000 years old. They're two to three times the age of the pyramids. It is the largest collection, if you like, of rock art anywhere in the world. There's at least 300,000 carvings. And without doubt, it is Australia's greatest heritage asset, it is of world significance."

 Colin Barnett has made it clear he will try to protect the Burrup and its unique physical and spiritual assets.

But as we saw at the movies - "there is no try, do - or don't do!"

It's time to DO Mr Barnett.

[ burrup,world heritage, environment, mining, rock art ]