An independent reporter will assess the effects of a contentious fertiliser plant on ancient rock art in Western Australia.
The application for assessment was submitted to Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek by Murujuga Traditional custodians, who are campaigning against Perdaman's proposed $4.3 billion urea plant near Karratha in the Pilbara region.
A consultant will conduct a full cultural heritage assessment of all industry on the Burrup Peninsula and report to the minister.
Ms Plibersek will then decide whether to grant long-term protection of the relevant area under section 10 of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act.
"An independent consultant has been engaged, as is standard under the (legislation)," a spokesperson for Ms Plibersek said.
"The consultant will take as long as is needed to prepare the report. There is no statutory timeframe."
The Perdaman project is located on Murujuga Country, home to more than one million petroglyphs dating back over 40,000 years.
Heavy industry has been on the Burrup Peninsula for decades, but some traditional custodians are growing increasingly worried about expansion plans. Credit: NITV The Point
'Keep holding them acccountable'
Traditional custodians Raelene Cooper and Josie Alec welcomed Ms Plibersek's decision but said it was the bare minimum.
“Let's not kid ourselves, the Australian government is not doing us a favour - this Section 10 decision is the basic job of government and only came because we keep holding them accountable," said Ms Cooper.
The pair had also sought a 60-day moratorium on works under section 9 of the act.
But Ms Plibersek, who met with stakeholders during a recent visit to the Pilbara, last month gave Perdaman the green light to proceed.
She recognised the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation and their Circle of Elders as the most representative organisation on cultural knowledge for the five Traditional Owner groups in the region.
Murujuga Traditional custodians Josie Alec and Raelene Cooper submitted a Section 9 and Section 10 to the Environment Minister. Credit: jolee grant
Ms Cooper said her rejection was based on "faulty reasoning and false conclusions", claiming members of the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation had been gagged from expressing their opposition.
"The refusal to grant our section 9 application still allows for damage and desecration of our sacred Murujuga rock art while this assessment is underway," Ms Cooper said on Thursday.
"This is a dangerous and contradictory position from the government that makes no sense and reveals the hypocrisy at the heart of all consultation between traditional custodians and industry on the Burrup.
"The community will be outraged if this failure from the government to ensure cultural safety allows for another Juukan Gorge while the Section 10 assessment is still ongoing."
WA's Labor government has consistently affirmed its support for the Perdaman project, saying it had received all appropriate environmental and heritage approvals.
An application was submitted in 2020 for the Burrup Peninsula to be granted UNESCO world heritage status.
"The whole community needs to band together to protect Murujuga because this is about our human rights and basic equality under the law and our lore," Ms Cooper said.
