Ancient Aboriginal rock art threatened by Australian natural gas project

The Australian Supreme Court will this week review the extension and expansion of a natural gas project in the northwest of the country. In September last year, the Minister for Nature gave the green light for the gigantic natural gas processor, which can now remain active until 2070. But experts and traditional residents of the area say the industry may be damaging ancient Aboriginal rock art. Raelene Cooper forms a funnel shape in front of her mouth with her hands.

Her loud voice echoes between the rocks. “I ask the ancestors for permission to show you the petroglyphs, she explains. Cooper is a traditional resident of the Mardudhunera community in Karratha, north-west Australia.

The landscape is dotted with mountains of red rocks. Towards the end of the afternoon, when the sun is low, the countless petroglyphs on the rocks suddenly become visible. This area is called Murujuga in the Aboriginal language.

It is the largest and oldest collection of petroglyphs in the world. At the end of last year it was therefore included on the World Heritage List of the UN organization UNESCO. In the golden glow of the setting sun, an image of a kangaroo becomes visible on the red rock.

A little further on, a turtle has been carved into the red outer layer. An emu also adorns a reddish-brown boulder, an iconic Australian flightless bird the size of an ostrich. The oldest petroglyphs are about 50,000 years old.

The oldest representation of a human face can be found here, as well as images of megafauna and other now extinct animals, such as the Tasmanian tiger. “This has been our home for generations, Cooper said. “It is our responsibility to care for our ancient art and history.

We are immensely proud of this sacred, special place. The drawings are connected to the Aboriginal Dreamtime, the basis of the faith of the original population of Australia. The stories from the Dreamtime explain to them how the earth came into existence and provide laws and rules for life.

Information about the area is also passed on from generation to generation, such as where water and food can be found. But in recent years, this unique rock art has been threatened by the fossil fuel industry. Directly opposite the Murujuga Rocks lies the massive Woodside natural gas project, Australia's largest producer of oil and natural gas.

It is the nation's largest fossil fuel export facility. Gas is processed here and shipped as liquefied natural gas. This amounts to approximately 14.3 million tons annually, which mainly goes to the Asian market.

Just under 15 percent is used in Western Australia itself. It will generate billions for the Australian economy. But opponents like Cooper say it poses a danger to the rock art's priceless value.

"You see the changes in the rocks and the drawings, they are less clear than before, says Cooper. 'Damage to nature and culture' In addition, there are concerns about the enormous greenhouse gas emissions caused by the combustion of natural gas. The Australian Conservation Foundation is therefore suing the government for approving the project that "causes massive damage to nature, climate and culture.