The Burrup Peninsula came into worldwide focus in 2003 when the World Monuments Fund listed the area on the top 100 most endangered heritage places on the planet—as the only Australian site. This seems, however, to escape the West Australian government.
The Western Australian government wants to develop chemical industry on the Burrup, most likely bulldozing and blasting the rock art, with evidence suggesting acid emissions from industry will rapidly erase the greater part of the rock art province.
As many as six gas processing plants were proposed to be built on the peninsula, and despite protests and a petition signed by over 6,500 people the WA government and the local Aboriginal groups finalised an agreement.
As a left-over from 1960's Woodside Energy's development there is one fenced-off 'cemetery of rock art' on the Burrup Peninsula.
Between
5 and 25 percent of these unique rock engravings have irrevocably been destroyed by industrial activity already. !
