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A Mardathoonera woman has lodged a complaint against the federal government with UNESCO over its treatment of Murujuga, on Western Australia’s Burrup Peninsula.
Raelene Cooper was involved in a submission to the world cultural and heritage organisation in relation to having the rock art landscape listed as a UNESCO site.
The site, which features the world’s densest collection of rock art in the world and includes petroglyphs up to 50,000 years old, was listed by the organisation one year ago.
A law firm has written to UNESCO on behalf of Cooper raising concerns about the conduct of the Australian government during that process in 2025.
The correspondence raises concern that the Australian government potentially breached the World Heritage Convention.
It noted that while state parties are required to “identify, protect, conserve, and transmit cultural heritage to future generations,” prior to a tentative and final listing, “large industrial projects were approved causing immediate physical harm an ongoing harm from emissions” to the area.
“The issues raised demonstrate breaches of international obligations under the World Heritage Convention and international customary norms, and highlight deficiencies in domestic legislative frameworks,” the letter reads.
The peninsula in northwest WA near Karratha is home to two gas plants, a fertiliser plant and iron ore and salt export facilities.
The letter from Cooper’s lawyers to UNESCO stated “the federal minister for the environment was aware of evidence showing that industrial emissions are causing irreversible harm to the Murujuga rock art prior to representations made to State Parties before and at the World Heritage Committee meeting in July 2025.”
It goes on to say “despite this, the Minister lobbied State Parties and made representations to the World Heritage Committee to the contrary.”
In September 2025, Woodside’s North West Shelf project was given approval to continue operating in the area until 2070.
Cooper says this approval contravenes world heritage conventions.
Also detailed in her complaint is what is described as the “ineffectiveness” of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act.
Cooper believes the government’s delay in providing the Murujuga area protection under the Act resulted in parts of the landscape being “irreversibly destroyed.”
NITV contacted Minister for the Environment and Water Murray Watt about the UNESCO letter.
A spokesperson said the government would “continue to work” with the WA government and the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation to “ensure the site is protected into the future.”
They said the government was proud to have supported the corporation on behalf of the Traditional Owners and Custodians in their pursuit of World Heritage listing for the Murujuga Cultural Landscape.
“That listing provides global recognition of Murujuga’s Outstanding Universal Value and the enduring cultural connection of Traditional Owners to the landscape,” the spokesperson said.
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