Minister announces Burrup Rock Art Committee chair and terms of reference

12/02/03 State Development Minister Clive Brown has announced terms of reference for the Government's Burrup rock art monitoring study and confirmed EPA Board member, Associate Professor Frank Murray, will chair the Rock Art Monitoring Management Committee.

12/02/03
State Development Minister Clive Brown has announced terms of reference for the Government's Burrup rock art monitoring study and confirmed EPA Board member, Associate Professor Frank Murray, will chair the Rock Art Monitoring Management Committee.
Mr Brown said the terms of reference had been drafted to maximise local community and indigenous consultation and would provide a comprehensive study into the possible impacts of new and existing industrial development to indigenous rock art, located on and adjacent to the Burrup Peninsula.
"The Government understands the importance of the rock art located on and around the Burrup and this study will, for the first time, scientifically investigate claims that emissions from industries currently located on the Burrup are affecting it," the Minister said.
"These terms of reference will give the rock art study a broad scope to investigate any effects of industrial development on the rock art, and to suggest mitigation measures, if necessary."
Mr Brown said Associate Professor Murray's appointment as chair of the Rock Art Monitoring Management Committee further strengthened an already expert committee.
"Professor Murray is an Associate Professor at Murdoch University's School of Environmental Science, where his main research areas are environmental pollution, environmental management, air pollution effects on the environment and human health and management of air quality," he said.
"He has held a number of international posts and published more than 80 papers and books on environmental management and the effects of air pollution.
"This makes Professor Murray eminently qualified to chair this important Government committee."
Other committee members include:

  • Warren Tacey, Department of Environmental Protection
  • Dennis Callaghan, Department of Indigenous Affairs
  • Ian Macleod, WA Museum
  • Mance Lofgren, WA Museum
  • Dr Patricia Vinnicombe
  • David Fleming, WA Chemistry Centre
  • Meath Hammond, Woodside Energy Ltd
  • Phillip Haydock, Yamatji Land and Sea Council
  • Kevin Richards, Shire of Roebourne.
Mr Brown said the four-year study was an important part of a comprehensive State Government plan to both manage and protect rock art on and around the Burrup. The Government has committed to a range of heritage protection measures over and above the protection already provided by the Aboriginal Heritage Act.
Other features of the plan include:
  • the establishment of a conservation reserve covering over 60 per cent of the Burrup Peninsula, including the areas of the Burrup with the highest concentrations of rock art, to be jointly managed by the State and native title claimant groups;
  • a $10.8million commitment to manage the conservation reserve;
  • ensuring that comprehensive heritage surveys have been conducted over the Burrup Industrial Precinct within five years, regardless of whether or not those areas will be the subject of development activities in the foreseeable future;
  • ensuring that no disturbance whatsoever takes place in certain parts of the Burrup Industrial Precinct that have been identified by native title claimants as containing significant Aboriginal heritage sites; and
  • ensuring that, if any disturbance of sites is authorised in accordance with the Aboriginal Heritage Act, those sites are appropriately recorded, described and photographed.
The Minister said he was confident the Government's rock art plan would ensure conservation and heritage values could continue to co-exist with industry on the Burrup Peninsula.
Details of the terms of reference are available from the Department of Industry and Resources website http://www.doir.wa.gov.au or by phoning the Department on 9327 5555.
Minister's office: 9222 9699