Fears for Indigenous rock art as construction begins on WA’s Burrup peninsula

Rock art at Deep Gorge, on the Burrup peninsula in WA. There are concerns such art may be damaged by industrial operations. Photograph: David Dare Parker/The Guardian

Traditional custodians fighting to protect ancient rock art on the Burrup peninsula have raised concerns that construction work has begun at multiple sites despite the federal government ordering a cultural heritage assessment of the area.

The peninsula in northern Western Australia is home to industrial operations including of the country’s largest gas producer Woodside, the Yara Pilbara ammonia plant and a proposed urea plant by Indian company Perdaman.