Protecting our Kimberley
We're committed to protecting the Kimberley from inappropriate development and broad scale industrialisation.
The Kimberley — too precious to lose
The Kimberley is under pressure from the natural resource and development sectors to mine for uranium, iron ore, coal, bauxite and gas. The natural and cultural values of the Kimberley are at risk from major industrialisation and significant impacts will flow from it across the region.
James Price Point — no place for a gas hub
ACF is opposed to the proposed location of the Browse Basin gas hub at James Price Point on the Dampier Peninsula. We are concerned that the environmental significance of the area has not been included for listing under National Heritage. The peninsula's western intertidal zone has been included under National Heritage in recognition of its extensive dinosaur trackways, but it remains in threat by the development of the gas hub.
The West Australian Environmental Protection Agency and federal environment minister Tony Burke must ensure the dinosaur trackways are fully surveyed and protected. Threatened bilby colonies, protected under the Australian EPBC act, have also been found on the site.
We continue to work towards keeping the strategic assessment process on track and ask for consideration of more appropriate locations for the Browse Basin gas hub outside the Kimberley.
Another key area for our Kimberley work is engaging the international investor community. Simon O'Connor, our chief economist, has produced three investor alerts, warning of the risks in investing in a project that is now showing serious signs of collapse. Read ACF’s April 2011, September 2011 and August 2012 Investor Alerts.
We reject large scale LNG development at James Price Point near Broome in the Kimberley on environmental grounds. We believe that locations outside the Kimberley, and even the option of a floating platform, have not been fully explored.
National Heritage listing — but threats remain
We have worked hard to ensure the Kimberley’s unique natural and cultural values are formally protected under National Heritage listing.
The first half of 2011 saw ACF working closely with the Kimberley Land Council to secure National Heritage listing for west Kimberley. The announcement was celebrated at a historic ceremony on Wednesday 31 August 2011 at One Arm point in Indigenous Ganbanan Country on the Dampier Peninsula.
Watch our video of the National Heritage listing announcement here.
Kimberley National Heritage listing is the largest land-based listing made in Australian history, with 19 million hectares of west Kimberley listed with full consent of Traditional Owners. This is an area almost the size of Victoria. It ensures west Kimberley receives a formal level of protection through federal scrutiny but it does not provide blanket protection from development.
We congratulate the Traditional Owners of west Kimberley on this fine national recognition of how special their country and culture is to all Australians. — Don Henry, ACF CEO
There are parts of the Kimberley not included in the listing that we are still pushing for inclusion. These include parts of the Fitzroy River valley, the southern desert wetlands, and water holes, and the Dampier Peninsula. We will be asking the Australian Heritage Council to further examine the region for additional places and values that should be listed, with the consent of Traditional Owners.
Despite National Heritage listing, the Kimberley is facing mounting pressure from inappropriate development.
Working with Indigenous communities in the Kimberley
Traditional Owners are the true custodians of their country and the best placed to build healthy cultural and conservation economies. Conservation and cultural economies are a way to create employment and help protect our unique biodiversity using the skills and knowledge of the Kimberley’s Indigenous communities. We are working with the Kimberley Land Council on models and funding opportunities that promote the environment and give Traditional Owners the opportunity to generate and build healthy lifestyles.
We are also working with the Fitzroy River Aboriginal Tourism Association and assisting them to become an incorporated body to promote their unique Kimberley cultural tourism experiences.
What's happening now?
- We are focused on highlighting the many existing industrial threats to the unique Kimberley Heritage values such as copper mining at Horizontal Falls — as well as coal, gas, uranium, bauxite and oil from the Canning Basin and Fitzroy River flood plains.
- We believe the best alternative to the industrialisation of the Kimberley is to build a sustainable local cultural and conservation economy and we are working with Traditional Owners on models and funding opportunities that promote the environment and offer healthy lifestyles.
- Over the next year we aim to secure further Kimberley Heritage values on the National Heritage Register and start discussions about the road to World Heritage listing for the Kimberley.
- We would like to see a trust fund established that supports Indigenous land management programs from a LNG processing hub agreement based outside the Kimberley.
- The newly enacted National Heritage laws are now being called on to offer protection for 60 kilometres of dinosaur track ways that follow the Dampier Peninsular intertidal zone near the site of the proposed gas hub.
- We are now working to influence Woodside’s Browse joint venture partners to process LNG gas outside the Kimberley.
How can I support action to protect the Kimberley?
- Like our Kimberley Facebook page to keep updated on our campaign.
- Donate to the campaign.
