Minister, Protect the Burrup with World Heritage Listing

Greens Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam is proud to stand with Traditional Owners to protect the world's largest pre-Ice Age rock art precinct in the Pilbara, 1550 km north of Perth.

"The Burrup Peninsula is a place of unparalleled artistic, cultural, religious and historical significance, as well as a place of magnificent natural beauty," said Senator Ludlam.

"The Greens have long campaigned for its protection, mostly recently through the Too Precious To Lose campaign.

"A cofounder of the Friends of Australian Rock Art (FARA) and its global Stand Up for The Burrup campaign, Greens WA MLC Robin Chapple has campaigned for the protection of the Burrup for decades.

"Hundreds of applications approved by the WA government have badly damaged the area, which was placed on the National Heritage register in July 2007. The Burrup has become a worst-case scenario of inappropriate siting of heavy industry.

"World Heritage listing has always been the goal of the Greens and Traditional Owners because National Heritage has not provided adequate protection for the site.

"Tens of thousands of artworks have already been destroyed and displaced by industrial vandalism."

In March 2011 Greens Senators Ludlam and Siewert moved a motion in the Senate calling for the emergency assessment, winning the support of the Government and the cross benches, which secured a review of the Burrup's World Heritage Values by the Australian Heritage Council (AHC).

"In May 2012, the AHC reported to Environment Minister Burke that the Dampier Archipelago meets UNESCO's World Heritage List criteria. It's time the government delivered," Senator Ludlam concluded.