Senate debates

Tuesday, 19 March 2013

Motions

Quinkan Rock Art Galleries

3:49 pm

Photo of Larissa WatersLarissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) Cape York's Quinkan region is home to rock art galleries and cultural sites of great cultural significance, with some sites dated to 30 000 years old,

(ii) much of this art and cultural heritage is not adequately protected and is open to mining exploration activities, and

(iii) the traditional owners of the Quinkan region want the Quinkan rock art galleries and surrounding cultural landscapes fully protected from mining exploration and other destructive activities, and support its inclusion in a World Heritage nomination for Cape York Peninsula; and

(b) calls on:

(i) the Queensland Government to refuse any mining exploration in the Quinkan rock art galleries until the area is declared a World Heritage Area, and

(ii) the Federal Government to step in to protect the Quinkan rock art galleries and surrounding cultural landscapes from all mining activities, until the area is declared a World Heritage Area in accordance with the wishes of the traditional owners.

Comments

Mark Duffett
Posted on 20 Mar 2013 2:42 pm

Employment of the phrase 'mining exploration' is a very useful marker to indicate someone who does not know what they are talking about.

Shay Holmes
Posted on 20 Mar 2013 7:42 pm

The Quinkan region should be protected from all industry and be included in heritage listing. The area should remain in the hands of local indigenous people.

All mining projects should be subjected to environmental and social examination by Federal team set up for this purpose. The state government of Queensland, being short of money, places business before everything. We need to maintain what we cherish in this country and destroyed environments and contaminated water are not the wish of most Australians. Jobs that involve fly in and fly out working arrangements are causing many marriage breakdowns and social problems .