national recognition for the kimberley
The West Kimberley region has just joined an exclusive club of iconic, well-loved places in Australia, including Bondi Beach, the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru. The Australian government has announced that the West Kimberley, in Western Australia’s far north, will be awarded National Heritage Listing!
Congratulations to our friends at the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) who, along with other environmental and cultural groups, have run a passionate campaign to help protect this region. “Formal recognition of the importance to the nation of the West Kimberley’s natural and cultural values confirms what many in the region and elsewhere already know – that this is a very special part of Australia that is too precious to lose to industrialisation,” said ACF CEO Don Henry.
In May this year Intrepid and ACF hosted a group of journalists to the Kimberley. Our aim was to draw media attention to an area that is home to the largest and most significant stretches of dinosaur footprints in the world, has many unique ecosystems and has enduring connections with its strong Indigenous culture. National Heritage Listing means that decisions about the future of this region must consider the significant natural and cultural heritage of the area, though unfortunately the listing falls short of preventing development in all areas and there is still concern about proposals for mining and gas plants in the Kimberley.
If you’ve yet to discover the wonders of the Kimberley, don’t wait – the wildlife, coastline and Indigenous heritage make it one of the most amazing places in Australia!
This is important and wonderful news, to help bring greater protection for a most magnificent and precious part of the world. Well done to ACF, local communities and all parties that have helped bring this decision about.
Congratulations to all who have been involved in this listing of the West Kimberleys. If more people saw this area of Australia I am sure they would be fighting on every front to stop all industrial development planned by the mining and gas plants companies. What can be done to help stop this development?
My favourite place in the whole world – I visit it as often as I can. There should be no mining or industrialisation in such a wonderful part of Australia. Shame on the Government for allowing this to happen.