The fate of the Dampier Rock Art site now hangs in the balance.
The Dampier Archipelago is a collection of islands located between Perth and Broome, and is close to the large oil and gas reserves of the Indian Ocean. The Rock Art site is next to a key industrial area which is currently planning to expand. The threat comes from the Woodside LNG Pluto processing facility, which has the backing of the Australian State Government. An estimated 300 petroglyphs that lie in the path of developers will either be moved or cut from the rock face if too heavy to move. Rock art loses context through relocation and interpretation of the site is as important as its conservation.
On the edge of destruction
The importance of the Dampier Rock Art has been recognised twice by the World Monuments Fund, making it onto both the 2004 and 2006 Watch Lists of the World’s 100 Most Endangered Sites. WMF has also taken part in the global advocacy campaign ‘Stand up for the Burrup’ which has raised awareness of the site via photo opportunities throughout the globe. WMF’s Watch Panel took part in one such opportunity during the selection process for the 2008 Watch List in June 2007.
The Watch List Panel show their support for Dampier
On 10th November 2007, The National Trust of Australia will announce its inclusion in their inaugural Our Heritage at Risk top ten in Hobart. The site is considered by many to be one of the top five sites of cultural interest in Australia.
The only monument in the world of this significance that has to share its location with an industrial estate.
Bonnie Burnham, President, World Monuments Fund, 2004
The current situation
This is an important time for the future of Dampier since the federal government has just rejected concerns from the Aboriginal heritage lobby and approved the AUS $12 billion Pluto LNG project. Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull said that approval had been granted under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 for Pluto to proceed ‘on strict environmental conditions’.
Both the National Trust of Western Australia and FARA (Friends of Aborigine Rock Art) are calling for the impending development to be relocated to an area close by that has already been cleared of petroglyphs and a moratorium on any further destruction of this world monument.
The remote Burrup peninsula
The rio-tinto iron ore conveyor on east intercourse.
Support
Support for Dampier spans the globe from America to Germany, although many are still simply unaware of this tragic act of international cultural vandalism.
Campaigning web sites
You can pledge your support online at:
www.petitiononline.com/dampier
www.burrup.org.au
www.dampierrockart.net
www.nationaltrust.org.au
www.heritagewa.org.au