Murray Watt overrides UN safeguards to clear way for Woodside

Environmental Minister Murray Watt is accused of limiting UNESCO protections to correct the path of gas giant Woodsyide by creating new concerns about the integrity of Murujuga’s World Heritage List.

SENATOR Murray WattThe new Australian Environment Minister was very pleased with the results in the last Paris UNESCO meeting In relation to the list Murujuga cultural landscape Site as a World Heritage. In particular, the decision to ignore the conditions proposed by the Council of International Monuments and Fields (ICOMOS) Committee on the protection of the site from acidic rain after lobbying by the Australian Union, including the domestic allies MUJUGA ABORİJİN COMPANY.

But perhaps the happiest was the gas giant Treedefender North West Shelf ProjectThose who are in the back room relations with the minister on development conditions that have not yet been announced.

Indeed, Murray “Muzza” Watts’ actions follow a proud history of the Australian government’s deception in the UN, especially the bright work done by the opposition leader Sussan Ley Minister Stop categorization The big barrier reef is “extinct”. Probably if the current scientific information about bleaching levels during the reef is to be accepted, probably the first world heritage site that will go beyond “healthy” in a step. Apparently, Alp followed the L-NP tradition in which science will be manipulated or followed.

How did Watt achieve such a result? Using the tactics that will make Sussan Ley and the liberal party proud. Woodsyide has a history of interaction with the Australian government in the deception on the international stage, because history Great sunrise Gas field Timor Sea.

As recommended under the 45 -year extension of Woodside operations, the gas giant would definitely take place with UNESCO’s strategy to obtain a list of the site without disturbing conditions that would prevent the release of acid -emitting gas and ammonium plants. Watt’s pre -approval operations.

The tactics used by the Australian government were primarily a PR attack. UN organizations have a long history to benefit Australia on the accuracy of environmental issues and accuracy of their knowledge, and seem to be sensitive to the attractive attacks of Australia.

The Australian government and Woodside are aware of this, and in this case Watt used a combination of representatives of non -European countries in the UNESCO table to support Murujuga’s “traditional owners” and unconditional list. Supporting this, Watt applied to UNESCO scientific monitoring data that gave green light to the project, but easily questioned and contradicted the findings of UNESCO’s own investigation.

Common Administrators of Murujuga Cultural Landscape Murujuga land and sea unitMUJUGA ABORİJİN Corporation and Western Australia Biodiversity, Protection and Travel Department. However, WoodSide had a long relationship with the local Domestic community While undertaking commercial and export gas operations in the region of the Burrup Peninsula. Relationship with a strong commercial component.

The traditional deputy is not included in the inheritance assessments Karratha gas plantThe first of WoodSide’s land gas infrastructure in the region in the 1980s, but since 2002, he has participated in the management of cultural heritage through audits for WoodSide’s land facilities, along with other researches and monitoring activities for other researches and monitoring activities.

As a sign of cooperation, in 2014, Woodside cooperated with traditional custody. replace More than 1,700 rock art from a holding compound used since the construction of the Karatha plant ‘Suitable positions in local landscape’. Tree stated This project ‘It took an important step in our journey of reconciliation’.

Ten years later, this relationship grew up as the chief organization that is now interested in Woodside with traditional custody represented by Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation. In 2024, with Western Australia Water and Environmental Regulation Department– Wound And Rio TintoWoodside helped to finance a five -year, $ 7 million state monitoring program, touted aspect ‘A comprehensive, independent program to monitor, evaluate and report factors that may affect the situation of rock art’. This amount rose to $ 27 million after the support of the program by the WA government.

Representatives of Murujuga Aborigin, who participated in the UNESCO meeting in Paris, expressed a strong desire to make changes in the conditions that go too advanced for Woodside under conditions on the suggested world heritage list of the Australian government’s proposed world heritage. They believe that Australia and WA governments interpret all the data on the acidic rain effects on rock art (petroglifs) or all data about any other reason is open to speculation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owyjholgyyai

However, Watt supported the support of the Kenya representative and UNESCO seat owners who presented Australian changes at the meeting to lead the Australian position and changes. Undoubtedly a PR coup coup, but what’s the Kenyians accept this role?

Here, Woodsyide’s hand shows itself again. In 2006, Woodsyide began to drill for oil on the coast of Kenya, a part of a consortium. 50 percent holding. Although there is no base yet, Woodside still remains interested in the Kenya oil field.

Another UNESCO seat and supporter of Australian changes was South Korea to sign a long -term supply agreement with Woodside. last year. Undoubtedly, the North West shelf area will make a significant contribution to this gas and cash pipeline. The independence of the other countries on the table was similarly endangered.

Well, the position presented by Watt to the UNESCO meeting, the best evidence we have, argues that there is no effect on acidic rain in the 50,000 -year -old petroglips in the Murujuga region?

This was a position taken by Murujuga Aborigin company and the Western Australian government published after a 18 -month study. last yearI found this:

‘The theory of acid rain/accumulation proposed by previous researchers is not supported by the data obtained from this program.’

Apparently it depends on who you ask, because this last result lies contrary to other claims. WoodSide itself websitesuggested contradictory data and ‘Theoretically, there is no definite scientific research on emissions that may affect rock art’WoodSide CUSTOMICAL APPROACH Operations and growth projects to minimize emissions.

The government has long been aware of the potential problems with industrial emissions and the integrity of Murujuga petroglifs. In 2002, the Western Australian government first founded the Burak Rock Art Monitoring Management Committee to evaluate the potential effects of industrial emissions on petroglips. Although previous reports did not have a noticeable effect in 2010, the newly established Buck Rock Art Technical Working Group was founded by CSIRO.

LAST CSIRO REPORT notes HE ‘Results are not exactly certain’A view echoed in 2023 Monitoring reportWhich WoodSide stated dead ‘It is not possible to achieve meaningful conclusions based on the data collected so far, but some methods are considered to be promising to inform the standards for industrial emissions’.

Undoubtedly, to provide some clarification to the fear of the site as a world heritage, UNESCO has assigned its own investigation organ, ICOMOS Group, about the effects of emissions on a rock region like Murujuga. Concluded its effects may be important And he proposed acidic pollution on the Buroup Peninsula of Australia’s Western Australia.

Like Raelene cooperThe traditional owner and former president of Murujuga Aborigin Company, statedThe report disintegrated ‘The legend of the gas industry and the former Murujuga Rock Art may exist together’. Cooper was part of a group of traditional owners traveling to Paris to express the concerns of the Australian government changes and the impact of new gas facilities on the old and extremely important cultural sphere. Cooper has blamed UNESCO group since then silencing delegation.

Then in 2025, undoubtedly, to support the list of world heritage, but the WA government released itself to crush ICOMOS findings. Monitoring reportIt is supported by the studies carried out by Curtin University. In May, the WA government issued a summary report, but was rapidly questioned by the professor, one of the chief writers of the report. Adrian Baddeleywhose member Australian Academy of Science. He complained that a graph was changed without permission to show a lower level of threshold for acceptable pollution levels, but he was removed.

Baddeley stated:

‘If the Green-Aqua cut line had been restored, five of the monitoring areas have experienced pollutants above the temporary guide and that they are the five closest sites to the industry.’

. report In addition, the upper layer of the most common rock in the region has found high porosity – in other words, historical deterioration – in the examples taken from areas close to Dampier, which has been hosting industrial operations since the 1960s.

Existing monitoring shows atmospheric pollutants such as nitric acids, although it is atmospheric ammonium Above the expected levels‘), probably, if the North West Shelf extension continues, the existing emission levels compared to historical and future emissions are low. Apparently the WA report did not take these thoughts correctly.

But Wa Premier, Roger Cook– precisely stated:

“Science said that modern industrial developments have no long -term effect in terms of the quality of rock art.”

This was discussed by scientists of the University of Curtin, but as WA Minister of Environment Matthew Swinbourn It was clarified, the Government Summary Certificate was prepared by the department with the inputs of Curtin University and Murujuga Aborigin Company.

And thus, Murujuga was decided to allow the world heritage list for cultural views, and annoying ICOMOS suggestions were abolished and allowed Woodside to continue gas operations.

However, the latest conditions for the north -west shelf expansion will still be solved, undoubtedly, Minister Watt and WoodSide, especially as some traditional owners, will fully evaluate them, Save our song lines The group decided on the Stop Stop Working Order on the 10th part of the cultural reason. If the best information is provided, this may cause some concern for Watt and his corporate friends, considering that he is a minister who will give his consent or consent.

Perhaps like the big barrier reef, Murujuga will soon be extinct. However, there are two issues that will not be looked at-the intervention of domestic decision recruitment by using the hijinansal reward and the extreme impact of institutional interests in the UNESCO and Australian government. Both remain at the center of the current game situation in relation to Murujuga.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va7qzwudr2m

David Paull is an Australian ecologist and blogger on politics and the environment.

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