'Kimberley Wilderness Parks' provide little protection

A fig leaf over government's industrialisation plans

Last week WA Premier Colin Barnett announced a package of conservation measures for the Kimberley.

The Premier has branded the announcement "Kimberley Wilderness Parks"

See Premier's map and our response below

The Premier has announced:

• The release of a detailed 'draft management plan' for the new Camden Sound Marine Park (700,000 hectares) - this draft plan is now open for three months public comment.
• Vague plans for 3 new marine parks at Eighty Mile Beach, Roebuck Bay and a "north Kimberley marine park"
• A proposal to change the existing Prince Regent 'A' Class Nature Reserve to a national park - to allow for increased tourism
• Creation of a voluntary "conservation corridor" between Prince Regent Nature Reserve and the Drysdale River National Park
• Funding of $10 million for "landscape scale conservation", based on voluntary agreements with Traditional Owners, pastoralists, conservation groups and other land managers
• New joint management arrangements for conservation areas with Traditional Owners involving unspecified changes to WA legislation, and
• $2.7 million "to improve visitor facilities in national parks."
  

The WIlderness Society's response to Premier Barnett's Kimberley conservation announcement:

Under this announcement, 98% of the Kimberley’s marine and coastal environment will continue to be available for mining, oil and gas development and commercial fishing. This is because the new ‘marine parks’ will contain large areas that are available for mining, fishing and other extractive commercial activities.

In relation to the draft Camden Sound Marine Park:

• less than half of the Kimberley’s famous Humpback whale nursery would be included in the marine park
• Only 13% would be fully protected as marine sanctuary
• Over 80% of the new marine park is proposed to be available for commercial fishing
• 50% would be available for mining and petroleum extraction

The proposal to change the existing Prince Regent River Nature Reserve (one of the region’s most important protected areas) to a national park is a down-grading of protection, designed to open the area up to increased use.

This announcement is a direct response to the growing campaign against the Premier’s plans to industrialise the Kimberley, starting with the proposed massive gas refinery and industrial port at James Price Point near Broome.

Many other proposed large scale industrial plans such as bauxite mining around the Mitchell Plateau and coal mining in the Fitzroy River valley would be unaffected by these announcements.

While the Premier has adopted very important conservation language in his announcement (e.g. ‘landscape scale conservation’; ‘joint management with Traditional Owners’; ‘interconnected system of marine and terrestrial reserves’), the detail of his announcement shows that real protection is minimal.

The Wilderness Society calls on the Premier to upgrade his conservation proposals to provide real protection and ensure that the Kimberley doesn’t become WA's next Pilbara.

 Find out more abour our campaign to Save the Kimberley