Latest news with #DepartmentofWaterandEnvironmentalRegulation
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Science
- Sydney Morning Herald
Rock art expert breaks silence over Burrup emissions study controversy
A leading statistician on an emissions study into an ancient West Australian rock art site has spoken supporting an 800-page report, days after blasting WA bureaucrats for 'unacceptable interference' by altering a graph in a separate summary of that report. The report on monitoring of industrial emissions near the site on the Burrup Peninsula in the state's north-west was released last Friday, and lauded by industry and the Cook government as proof that modern industrial emissions were not currently impacting the ancient petroglyph images carved into the site's striking rock landforms. That conclusion was rubbished by world-renowned rock art expert Ben Smith, who said the 800-page report showed the opposite. The Murujuga rock art monitoring program is a $27 million joint effort between Curtin University scientists, Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation and the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. Its release came days before Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt approved a 40-year extension to the life of Woodside's North West Shelf assets – among which are a gas plant releasing some of the emissions being monitored. The report was published alongside an eight-page summary featuring graphs showing benchmark levels for acceptable pollution on the Burrup. The ABC reported Curtin University Emeritus Professor Adrian Baddeley, who was the report's chief statistician, complained in an email to DWER on Tuesday that one of those graphs had been altered on the summary. The alteration removed a line showed in the main report, showing an early warning threshold of pollution on the Burrup. Baddeley, who told a pro-Palestine rally at Curtin last May universities had become 'more corporate, much more authoritarian, much more coercive' wrote to the government department:
The Age
4 days ago
- Science
- The Age
Rock art expert breaks silence over Burrup emissions study controversy
A leading statistician on an emissions study into an ancient West Australian rock art site has spoken supporting an 800-page report, days after blasting WA bureaucrats for 'unacceptable interference' by altering a graph in a separate summary of that report. The report on monitoring of industrial emissions near the site on the Burrup Peninsula in the state's north-west was released last Friday, and lauded by industry and the Cook government as proof that modern industrial emissions were not currently impacting the ancient petroglyph images carved into the site's striking rock landforms. That conclusion was rubbished by world-renowned rock art expert Ben Smith, who said the 800-page report showed the opposite. The Murujuga rock art monitoring program is a $27 million joint effort between Curtin University scientists, Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation and the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. Its release came days before Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt approved a 40-year extension to the life of Woodside's North West Shelf assets – among which are a gas plant releasing some of the emissions being monitored. The report was published alongside an eight-page summary featuring graphs showing benchmark levels for acceptable pollution on the Burrup. The ABC reported Curtin University Emeritus Professor Adrian Baddeley, who was the report's chief statistician, complained in an email to DWER on Tuesday that one of those graphs had been altered on the summary. The alteration removed a line showed in the main report, showing an early warning threshold of pollution on the Burrup. Baddeley, who told a pro-Palestine rally at Curtin last May universities had become 'more corporate, much more authoritarian, much more coercive' wrote to the government department:
West Australian
7 days ago
- Politics
- West Australian
‘Lies:' A UWA professor accuses the WA Government of lying about the impact of industrial emissions on Aboriginal rock art
The Western Australian government has been accused of lying in the summary of a report about the impact of industrial pollution on Aboriginal rock art in the Pilbara to support an extension to Woodside's North West Shelf gas plant. UWA professor of archaeology Benjamin Smith said he had blown the whistle on the summary of an 800 page report released by the WA government late last week examining the impact of industrial emissions on Murujuga rock art. The Cook government has denied the allegation. The report was produced by the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation and scientists from Curtin University, which the professor claims were gagged from commenting on its findings. Professor Smith has studied the impact of pollutants on rock art for the past six years and claims the WA government covered up evidence that industrial pollutants have degraded rock art and misrepresented findings in the report. 'This report contains very serious evidence that industrial emissions are currently damaging the rock art of Murujuga,' he said. Professor Smith said experiments showed rocks at Murujuga were damaged by industrial pollutants at accelerating elevated porosity, which meant they looked liked Swiss cheese under a microscope, rather than hard, even surfaces. He said the government tried to blame elevated porosity on a Dampier power plant that operated in the 1970s and 1980s that produced 4000 tonnes of pollution, but current emissions from industry were now five times higher. 'That means current emissions are five times more serious, we have five times the level of destruction of Murujuga rock art than we had in the 1970s and 80s, according to the Murujuga rock art report,' he said. A state government spokesman denied the allegations saying the claims were offensive and factually incorrect. The premier told media at a press conference the science has said that modern industrial developments do not have a long-term impact in terms of the quality of the rock art. 'There was one incident back in the 1970s associated with an old generation power plant, that is what people have pointed to as being the most damaging period during the age of the rock art.' Professor Smith tore up a copy of the summary at a press conference telling media the document was a disgrace and not worth the paper it was written on. 'The minister cannot make a decision on the expansion of the North West Shelf on the basis of this propaganda document,' he said. Woodside has operated the facility for 40 years and have environmental approval to operate the gas plant until 2030, but need government approval to extend operations beyond next decade. The WA government approved Woodside's expansion in December, but the project needs environmental approval from the federal government before it can continue past 2030. Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt is due to make a decision by the end of the month on whether to grant Woodside an extension to continue operating the North West Shelf gas plant until 2070. The North West Shelf is one of the world's biggest producers of liquefied natural gas, environmentalists argue it is one of the biggest polluters of greenhouse gas emissions in the Southern Hemisphere. WA Greens spokesman Sophie McNeil called on Minister Watt to delay making a decision on the North West Shelf extension in the wake of these 'shocking revelations.' 'There is a clear discrepancy between the findings of the 800 page report and of the summary, which we know was written by department officials,' she said. 'We have serious concerns about the ability of the minister to make this decision in this short period of time, because that report is incredibly technical reading.' Mr Watt declined to comment.
West Australian
25-05-2025
- West Australian
Main Roads WA bulldoze Marbelup rest area after campers and motorists dump razors, food waste and excrement
A rest stop on South Coast Highway between Albany and Denmark has been closed for good after holidaymakers and illegal campers trashed the area over Easter. Main Roads WA removed the bins, bulldozed the Marbelup pit-stop and then blocked access, after visitors left rubbish, which included everything from food waste to razors and a portable toilet filled with excrement. A Main Roads statement said it was not the first time they had removed the bins because of illegal dumping. 'Rest areas may be closed for a number of reasons, with safety for drivers and illegal dumping among the key reasons,' the statement said. 'Rubbish bins are provided at most rest areas across the Great Southern Region, however the Marbelup rest area, like many other stopping places closer to townsites, had its bins removed due to the excessive amount of illegal dumping of household refuse.' The City of Albany's sustainability and waste strategy coordinator Julia Passmore called on motorists to take their rubbish home with them. 'We encourage everyone to carry out what they carry in when visiting local attractions,' she said. 'Fortunately most visitors did the right thing over the recent holiday period. 'With more than 400 public bins across Albany and the Hanrahan Road Waste Facility open daily, there are always better options than dumping or littering.' Roadsides are some of the most littered sites in the State, according to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. 'If there is no bin, or the bin is full, take your rubbish with you and dispose of it responsibly when another bin is available,' a department spokesperson said. 'Keep Australia Beautiful WA and Main Roads WA have collaborated for more than 10 years to provide 10,000 Outback Packs per year. 'The packs contain litter bags and accessories to enable motorists to conduct clean-ups along the way.' The packs are available at visitor centres throughout WA and at Albany Library. Since 2023, Main Roads has closed nine rest areas, built 11 and upgraded 12.
West Australian
20-05-2025
- General
- West Australian
Major step in South West water monitoring project gives farmers firsthand access to real-time water info
A major step in a South West water monitoring project is giving farmers firsthand access to real-time water information. Growers and community members in the Manjimup-Pemberton area can now access the Record Brook gauging station's up-to-date data after key upgrades to water monitoring infrastructure. The Record Brook upgrade is the first initiative to be delivered under the $2 million Warren-Donnelly Streamflow Monitoring Improvement Project aiming to significantly enhance the quality and availability of water monitoring information across the region. The project is part of a $15.3m State Government package aiming to strengthen water security and monitoring in the Manjimup-Pemberton area. In a report by the Southern Forests Irrigation Reference Group, improving streamflow monitoring was a key recommendation alongside a need for better data to understand the impacts of climate and forest management on regional river flows. Live streamflow and river height data from Record Brook can now be publicly accessed from Department of Water and Environmental Regulation's River Monitoring Stations website. Water, Climate Resilience and South West Minister Don Punch said the development was a step forward for water monitoring in the region. 'This will help local growers adapt to climate change and give everyone a better understanding of how water flows in the area,' he said. 'With real-time data available online, the community has greater transparency and confidence in how water is being measured and managed.'
