A distant peninsula near a controversial gasoline processing facility has been nominated by the federal authorities for world heritage standing.
100 thousand acres on the Burrup Peninsula, recognized to conventional custodians as Murujuga, could be the second web site in Australia listed due to its First Nations heritage.
Murujuga is dwelling to greater than 1,000,000 petroglyphs, historical rock artwork thought-about sacred to native Indigenous individuals.
However the presence of a gasoline plant owned by Woodside places this artwork in danger, conventional custodian Raelene Cooper mentioned.
"We strongly help the World Heritage nomination - it ought to have occurred years in the past - however we're below no illusions that this can shield Murujuga from industrial harm because of Woodside's increasing Burrup Hub," she mentioned.
"Assist for this nomination from Woodside, Perdaman and the WA authorities is deeply hypocritical whereas they're on the similar time pushing forward with tasks that may destroy the very cultural values the itemizing is meant to guard."
Conventional custodians within the space consider air pollution from the plant will trigger acid rain that may harm the rock artwork.
Whether or not the artwork could be broken by pollution from the plant is a matter for debate.
Nonetheless, the itemizing has been celebrated by Setting Minister Tanya Plibersek.
"This deeply storied panorama accommodates a wealthy assemblage of tangible and intangible cultural attributes, together with one of many densest and most various collections of petroglyphs on the earth," she mentioned in an announcement.
"Murujuga is a pure marvel of the world – a spot for all Australians to replicate on years of steady dwelling tradition."
UNESCO will take 18 months to contemplate the appliance, amongst many others, and can decide subsequent yr.
The peninsula, previously generally known as Dampier Island, is within the Pilbara north of Karratha.
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