Gerry Georgatos
Premier Colin Barnett welcomed the announcement by Burrup Nitrates Pty Ltd that it will proceed with building a technical ammonium nitrate plant at an estimated investment of $800 million.
Premier Barnett also holds the ministerial portfolio of state development minister however just a few years ago he was calling for an end to development on the Burrup Peninsula.
Greens WA spokesperson for Aboriginal Issues Robin Chapple Issues expressed his disappointment in the "about-face" and in a state government willing to override the cultural value of a place to preserve the growth of industry.
"This to me smacks of utter hypocrisy," said Mr Chapple.
"Just six short years ago I heard Colin Barnett read into parliament a heartfelt speech on the value and significance of the rock art on the Burrup Peninsula. At the time he called it 'The most significant heritage and anthropological site in Australia'. He called on the government to 'forget other areas of the Burrup Peninsula where it proposes to develop new sites'.
"Fast forward six years and we have that same minister welcoming big, damaging, polluting industry into the area, a vulnerable area on which, by Colin Barnett's own admission, as much as '20 to 25 per cent' of the rock art has already been destroyed," said Mr Chapple.
At the time, six years ago, Mr Barnett alluded to a study showing that some 4,700 carvings had already been destroyed in the process of industrial development. The Burrup is a unique cultural landscape and a place of great importance to Australia and the world according to scientists and the local Elders Wilfred Hicks and Tim Douglas.
"I consider it a tragic moment when even those who have spoken in the past with great integrity on the value of cultural heritage can be bought off by industry interests and swayed by political pressure. This heralds the death of the conviction politician," said Mr Chapple.