Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has asked a chemical company to hold off works on a $4.5 billion urea plant in the Pilbara which will disturb rock art at a World Heritage-nominated site. | petedekruijff and MartaPascual3
Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has asked a chemical company to hold off works on a $4.5 billion urea plant in the Pilbara which will disturb rock art at a World Heritage-nominated site while she considers appeals from Traditional Owners.
A section 9 is an emergency declaration over an area which can be enacted if the minister receives an appeal from Aboriginal people seeking to protect a significant area under immediate threat from desecration. Former Environment Minister Sussan Ley approved, under section 10 of the law, for someone to be appointed to prepare a report assessing the impact of industry, which includes gas and fertiliser plants, on the cultural heritage of the peninsula.Burney told RN Breakfast the government was taking the matter “absolutely seriously”, particularly in the wake of the Juukan Gorge disaster where mining giant Rio Tinto destroyed 46,000-year-old rock shelters in the Pilbara in 2020.
“MAC’s only role is to provide advice and recommendations regarding any heritage or cultural values that may be impacted by the proposed works. “However, that is only a short-term stopgap and we have been sidelined and silenced many times before,” she said.
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