2016-01-22
DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT Question No. 2633 Senator Ludlam asked the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment, in writing, on20 November 2015:With reference to the World Heritage values of the Burrup:
(1) Could the Minister confirm that nominations to the next World Heritage nomination listing process are due by 1 February 2016.
(2) Can an outline be provided of the process and timeframe that would have to be met in order to make a nomination by February 1 2016.
(3) Given that, on the 9 March 2006 Western Australian Premier, Mr Colin Barnett, stated 'I have no doubt that the Burrup Peninsula will ultimately receive National Heritage listing and probably World Heritage listing. However, in both cases, in my view at least, it is premature andshould occur only after the state has properly accepted and performed its responsibility by surveying the site and solving the apparent conflict between industry and the preservation of this rock art' ‒ what funding or support will the Australian government provide to ensure a full heritage survey of the Burrup and Dampier Archipelago is completed.
(4) Is the Minister aware there is no comprehensive list available of sites that have been destroyed or sites that have been deregistered in the Burrup.
(5) With reference to the Australian Heritage Council Report on the Universal values of the Dampier Archipelago which was completed in September 2011 and found 'the highest risks to heritage values arise from potential threats related to industrial development and an incomplete knowledge of the extent of heritage':
(a) is it the Government's view that the world heritage values of the Burrup Peninsula are under threat; and
(b) can details be provided, in chronological order, of how the Minister has made his best endeavours to reach agreement with the Western Australian government in order to submit the Burrup to the World Heritage Committees under section 314 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.(6) Has the Department sought information from the state government de-listing the Burrup or its broader delisting of sacred sites.
(7) When was the last time the Minister spoke to the Western Australian government about progressing the Burrup on to World Heritage listing.
(8) What will it take for the federal government to ensure the Burrup is protected, re-listed as a site, and proceeds to achieve World Heritage listing.
Senator Birmingham: The Minister for the Environment has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:
(1) Yes. However, for a place to be nominated for World Heritage listing it must first be includedin the Tentative List for at least one year. UNESCO's Operational Guidelines for theImplementation of the World Heritage Convention (2013) provides a full explanation of thisprocess (http://whc.unesco.org/en/guidelines/).
(2) See answer to (1) above.
(3) Conservation Agreements signed between the Australian Government and industry havesupported a range of activities in the Dampier Archipelago National Heritage place including support for Indigenous rangers, research activities and field work.
(4) Yes.
(5) (a) The rock art of the Dampier Archipelago, including the Burrup Peninsula, is protected as a National Heritage place under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act1999 (EPBC Act). This means that any action likely to have a significant impact on the nationalheritage values of the rock art must be referred for approval under the EPBC Act before it can proceed.
(5) (b) Section 314 of the EPBC Act requires the Minister to be satisfied that the Commonwealthhas used its best endeavours to reach agreement with owners and occupiers, and the relevantstate or territory government, prior to submitting a World Heritage nomination. On 15 December 2015 the Meeting of Environment Ministers considered an update toAustralia's World Heritage Tentative List. The Western Australian Government did not proposeany sites for inclusion on Australia's Tentative List.
(6) Yes. Refer to the response to Question 90 of the Budget Estimates hearing of 26 May 2015,which was tabled on 29 July 2015.
(7) Refer to (5) (b).
(8) The Burrup Peninsula is listed and protected under the EPBC Act (refer to (5) (a)). This protection is not affected by whether the rock art is listed under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972(WA).