As the North West Shelf decision looms, Senator Lidia Thorpe has put new Environment Minister Murray Watt on notice over the continued destruction of climate and Country that is sacred to First Peoples.
Key information:
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Last week, Minister Watt visited WA and announced he will make a decision on Woodside’s North West Shelf extension by the end of this week.
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Murujuga Traditional Custodians say they were not consulted, despite a pending cultural heritage protection application lodged in February 2022.
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The Section 10 application, by Mardathoonera woman Raelene Cooper, seeks emergency protection for ancient rock art from industrial expansion at the Burrup Hub.
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Murujuga (Burrup Peninsula) is home to the world’s oldest and largest collection of Aboriginal rock art and is nominated for UNESCO World Heritage listing.
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Scientists say the rock art is being visibly degraded by industrial emissions and faces destruction within decades.
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The latest Murujuga Rock Art Monitoring Program (MRAMP) report—released quietly last week—has been exposed as politically manipulated, with scientists and academics accusing the WA Government of misrepresenting the findings, ignoring clear evidence of damage, and prioritising Woodside’s interests over cultural protection. See ABC coverage here.
Quotes attributable to Lidia Thorpe, Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung independent Victorian Senator:
"Minister Watt is preparing to make a decision that could ignite a climate bomb and permanently destroy sacred sites, yet he hasn’t consulted with Traditional Custodians and has ignored a live heritage protection application that’s been on his desk for over three years.
"Once again, First Peoples are being excluded from decisions about our own land.
"There is no way to justify this project—not when it will release billions of tonnes of emissions, not when we’re watching Murujuga’s sacred rock art being erased by pollution, and not when communities across this continent right now are suffering the impacts of climate collapse.
"Right now, as we suffer through destructive floods on one side of the continent and devastating drought on the other, Minister Watt must not light the fuse on this carbon bomb.
"The Minister flew to WA to meet with stakeholders but refused to meet with Murujuga Custodians. Choosing Reconciliation Week to push through this decision, while side-lining First Peoples, is not just disrespectful—it’s disgraceful.
"Scientists have revealed how the WA Government has manipulated the truth and interfered in the rock art monitoring process. Minister Watt is basing his decisions on the back of this scandal.
"There is clear evidence that industrial pollution is destroying Murujuga’s ancient rock art, which is some of the oldest and most sacred cultural expression on Earth.
"This week marks five years since the Juukan Gorge disaster. Have Labor learned nothing? Are they prepared to go down as the government that watched the destruction of Murujuga with their eyes wide open?
"Labor has shown in the previous term that protecting big industry is more important to them than protecting Country. This decision is their first test. It will reveal what their priorities are.
"Labor is in the best possible position to deliver real reform to protect Country, climate and sacred sites. So the question is, do they actually respect the rights of First Peoples, or are they just here to keep their fossil fuel mates happy? Minister Watt’s decision will show us."