It should be decision day today for the magnificent Kimberley region in Western Australia.
Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke has been considering the Australian Heritage Council’s proposal to make a large portion of the Kimberley Australia’s 90th heritage listed site and is scheduled to announce his verdict shortly.
If listed, the Kimberley would join a coveted list of world-renowned places such as Uluru, Bondi Beach, the Great Barrier Reef, the Sydney Opera House, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Fremantle Prison and Port Arthur.
Aboriginal traditional owners, tourism operators and environmentalists fear one of Australia’s last remaining wilderness areas could become a giant quarry if it is not heritage listed.
But with significant pressure from the mining sector, many people are concerned the decision could be delayed a second time.
Worse still, some fear the area being considered for heritage listing may be reduced in size or that the proposal could be struck out entirely.
Many tourism operators believe the Kimberley – with its ancient rock formations, diverse flora and fauna, fossils, dinosaur footprints, strong Aboriginal culture and important history – needs greater protection from inappropriate development.
Intrepid Travel co-founder Darrell Wade told Channel 9 that the Kimberley was one of the most spectacular parts of Australia which travellers were only starting to discover.
“I am drawn back to the Kimberley time and time again because it’s so extraordinary,” said Mr Wade. “A strong national heritage listing would protect the Kimberley and ensure future generations have the opportunity to experience this amazing region.”
Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) executive director Don Henry said heritage listing would stimulate the economy and create jobs through appropriate tourism.
“We know, for example with the Great Barrier Reef heritage listing, that now brings four to five billion dollars a year in tourism and recreational-use income to Queensland and Australia,” Mr Henry told reporters at Windjana Gorge. “There is a prosperous future here with appropriate tourism and development that doesn’t damage values. If we allow massive development, and the pressure is there, we will turn it into a giant quarry.”
With a handful of mines already operating across the region and more than 700 mining tenements currently in place, the WA government hopes the Kimberley will become another one of the state’s world-class resource provinces.
Many locals and pastoralists claim heritage listing the area will stifle the economy and make it difficult for any new projects to get off the ground. However, heritage listing does not prohibit new mining and agriculture projects, nor will it affect existing operations. National heritage listing recognises and seeks to protect the values of an area – not the entire place.
