January 2007-Woodside Energy's Pluto LNG Gas Plants threat to indigenous rock art

Off the North West coast of Western Australia in the Burrup Peninsula rests a silent heritage of immeasurable worth: a group of islands filled with close to a million indigenous rock carvings six times older than the Pyramids and eight times older than Stonehenge. This heritage site has been chosen by Woodside Energy to set up its $20 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant called Pluto project threatening to destroy this world renowned and priceless aboriginal art.
RIMM members had extended their support to the local campaign against setting up of the gas plant and demanded that the government of Australia list the same as a national heritage site and ask industries to find alternate sites for their plants. Pressure from the campaigners worked with the government and Woodside in November 2006 reversing their position against the heritage listing. However, Woodside have stated that they only support the listing on the condition that the proposed area for their Pluto development project is excised. The then Minister for Environment Senator Ian Campbell decided not to emergency list the site in January 2007 and called for public comment and consultation on the heritage process. Woodside is awaiting approval of a Public Environmental Review from Federal Environment and Heritage bodies. The Environmental Protection Authority is currently assessing the complete development plan for the Pluto project. The joint Public Environment Report-Public Environmental Review is open for public comment until February 19, 2007. The EPA's review stage is another opportunity to get your message across to the interested parties - Woodside will have to respond to the submissions made by the public following the close of submissions.