WOODSIDE CEO DESCRIBES MURUJUGA ROCK ART REMOVALS AS ‘CULTURALLY SENSITIVE AT THE TIME’

Woodside’s Pluto facility on Murujuga, the Burrup Peninsula in the Pilbara. Credit: Supplied, Woodside.

Yesterday, Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill described historical destruction of sacred rock art sites at Murujuga, the Burrup Peninsula as “culturally sensitive at the time”.

Ms O’Neill made her comments as part of an appearance at the National Press Club.

“When we built the Karratha Gas Plant, which was our first investment there, we did move rock art,” she said.

“We did it in a way that was culturally sensitive at the time, but in the light of hindsight, it’s not something we’d repeat.”

According to campaign group Save Our Songlines, which opposes industrial development on Murujuga, thousands of rock art sites were destroyed in the 1980s for the construction of the Karratha Gas Plant, and further rock art sites were relocated for the construction of the Pluto gas facility in 2007.

Murujuga custodian and Save Our Songlines campaigner Raelene Cooper said it was “deeply offensive” for Woodside to describe the destruction of rock art as culturally sensitive.

“How can she say it was culturally appropriate?” she asked.

“Who did Woodside ask for permission, and who gave them cultural authority? Where was the consultation process? This is our sacred cultural heritage that Woodside bulldozed into the sea.”