Tanya Plibersek urged to protect Indigenous rock art up to 50,000 years old by blocking fertiliser plant

The incoming federal environment minister has been urged to block the construction of a fertiliser plant on a world heritage-nominated site in Western Australia, and to act swiftly to stop the multinational company behind the plans from removing Indigenous rock art.

Perdaman is planning a $4.5bn plant on the Burrup Peninsula, in the Pilbara region. The plant, which is strongly supported by the state government and was backed by the former federal government, will require the removal of Aboriginal art produced over a period starting about 50,000 years ago.

In March, then-environment minister Sussan Ley ordered Perdaman to stop work at the site while she considered an application made by two traditional owners, Raelene Cooper and Josie Alec, for emergency protection of the rock art.

Cooper, a Mardudhunera woman and member of the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation, and Alec, a Kuruma/Marthudhunera woman who is also a Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation member, sent a fresh application for emergency protection on Monday to incoming environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, and Indigenous affairs minister, Linda Burney.

Cooper and Alec have called for Plibersek to urgently protect four petroglyphs that Perdaman plans to move, noting that the two-month timeframe the company provided to Ley had passed.

Perdaman was contacted for comment.

A spokesperson for Plibersek confirmed she had received the application under section nine of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act for the preservation and protection of Murujuga cultural heritage.

Perdaman have received $255m in state and federal government funding to build water and marine infrastructure near the site, and claims to have received approval from traditional owners for its plans.