[Greens-Media] Too little, too late for the Burrup

[Hollo, Tim (Sen C. Milne)]

JOINT MEDIA STATEMENT
Senator Rachel Siewert Senator for Western Australia
Hon Dr Carmen Lawrence MHR Federal Member for Fremantle
Mr Peter Andren MHR Federal Member for Calare

Tuesday, 3 July 2007

Too little, too late for the Burrup

The decision by the Minister for the Environment to give National
Heritage listing to the rock art of the Burrup Peninsula and Dampier
Archipelago is overdue, insufficient, and lacks courage. 

Greens Senator Rachel Siewert, Labor's Dr Carmen Lawrence and
Independent Peter Andren welcome the listing, but say: 

"The Minister's belated decision to recognise the undisputed heritage
values of the Dampier Archipelago and the Burrup Peninsula comes too
late to stop the damage that has occurred, and is sadly framed to allow
further damage.  It would have taken uncommon courage for the Minister
to protect the full scope of the Burrup art against the wishes of
Woodside Energy.  Unfortunately, he hasn't shown that courage."

"The Burrup petroglyphs form an organic cultural record that cannot be
chopped up into bits and pieces, especially when the government has
never bothered to fund a comprehensive scientific and historical survey
of the artworks.  What we do know is that the Burrup is 'a place of
unparalleled artistic, cultural, religious and historical significance'
as far as Australia is concerned, and that it is one of the most
incredible continuous records of ancient human culture on the planet."

"At this point we call on Woodside Energy and the Western Australian
government to go one better than the federal Minister, and to protect
Australia's heritage by relocating the proposed Pluto gas plant to one
of the perfectly adequate alternative sites that have been identified."

The National Heritage listing has been framed to leave out two important
sites (Pluto A and B) within the area so that Woodside's Pluto gas
project can proceed.  Site A has already been subject to the removal of
petroglyphs, and the development of Site B will cause further damage.

The three parliamentarians previously sought an emergency listing of the
Burrup (December 2006) when it became clear that Woodside's removal of
rock art was imminent.  Today's decision has been delayed and ultimately
formulated in a way that fails to protect the organic value of the
Burrup petroglyphs against a development that could easily have been
situated elsewhere.

For Comment
Senator Rachel Siewert	Chris Twomey	0407 725 025
Mr Peter Andren	Tim Mahony	0427 480 825
Dr Carmen Lawrence	Josh Wilson	(08) 9335 8555 / 0419 963 486

Tim Hollo
Media and Communications Adviser
Senator Christine Milne
Phone: + 61 (0) 2 6277 3063
Mobile: + 61 (0) 437 587 562
Email: tim.hollo at aph.gov.au
Skype: timhollo
Website: www.christinemilne.org.au