The recent decision to approve the extension of Woodside’s North West Shelf gas plant on the site of Murujuga is threatening the longevity of this very sacred site and flies in the face of Labor’s commitments to tackling climate change.
I’ve had the good fortune of working and walking on this country, making music tracks with local Indigenous youth and performing alongside the Roebourne community for the Songs for Peace concert a number of times. Previously I was involved in delivering the Ngarluma Elder’s village housing project for the Ngarluma people, when I was a fresh graduate architect.
Awe inspiring
During these work trips, I was lucky enough to be shown the incredible Murujuga site, which as some would know, contains a massive collection of significant rock art on the Burrup Peninsula.
It was truly awe inspiring to hear of the amount of petroglyph examples and to get a sense of how much cultural significance these hold (within my limited non-Indigenous understanding). This coupled with the harsh beauty of this coastal landscape was a breathtaking, unforgettable experience.
It was told to us by locals that Murujuga is a node point from which songlines emanate out across the continent. To the traditional custodians, the rock art has acted as a stone encyclopaedia containing flora, fauna, spirit figures and even recent events, but there are also protocols which mean that only certain members of the community can access parts of the site. These we did not see.
When will we learn to value culture?
Probably the most stirring moment was when we were taken to a spot that was described as a birthing stone. A large stone with a subtle curve which acted as a sturdy support for women giving birth, sat adjacent to a creek bed. Behind this rather nondescript but important spot, was such a surreal image now etched into my mind. Several chimneys towered over us, pouring out fire. They were connected to an endless industrial fabric of pipes and chambers at such a massive scale that I had little comprehension of what was happening. This was Woodside’s Karratha gas processing plant. To learn that this processing plant, located on such sacred ground will have its life extended to 2070 by the Labor government, is truly unbelievable.
This decision really shows that we haven’t come nearly far enough in valuing the true ancient cultural heritage of this great land. We are barely reckoning with the Juukan Gorge disaster, let alone the countless other desecrations that have happened throughout our colonial history. Not only is there a direct threat to the rock art through acid rain and other industrial pollution, but the huge amount of greenhouse gas emissions that a further 40 years of this plant will produce, is a backflip on any commitments towards tackling climate change.
Whether or not you’ve had the privilege to encounter this site, if you have any respect for this extremely significant cultural place you would not support the extension of this plant. Please educate yourself on this important issue and contact the Environment Minister Murray Watt and your local MP to tell them that this must be protected. With a bit more national attention, I believe this can be protected.
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