❓ Hon Sophie McNeill questions the Minister for the Environment regarding the Murujuga Rock Art Monitoring Program report, specifically concerning delays in its release and alleged interference with scientific findings. The Minister denies the allegations.
AnsweredQoN 607Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Murujuga rock art—Monitoring program
607. Hon Sophie McNeill to the Minister for the Environment:
I refer to recent
media reports regarding the department's involvement in the executive summary
of the Murujuga Rock Art Monitoring Program:
Monitoring Studies Report 2024 .
(1) Why did the government wait until a year after
receiving the report to make it public, just prior to the federal approval of
the North West Shelf project?
(2) How many reviews of the executive summary took
place and when?
(3) Following the release of freedom of
information material, does the minister concede that the answer to question
without notice 286 on 28 May this year was incorrect since the department
insisted on changes against the scientists' advice?
607. Hon Sophie McNeill to the Minister for the Environment:
I refer to recent
media reports regarding the department's involvement in the executive summary
of the Murujuga Rock Art Monitoring Program:
Monitoring Studies Report 2024 .
(1) Why did the government wait until a year after
receiving the report to make it public, just prior to the federal approval of
the North West Shelf project?
(2) How many reviews of the executive summary took
place and when?
(3) Following the release of freedom of
information material, does the minister concede that the answer to question
without notice 286 on 28 May this year was incorrect since the department
insisted on changes against the scientists' advice?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for some notice of the question.
(1) I reject the premise of the member's question.
The draft year 2 report and interim environmental quality criteria (EQC) were
subject to independent peer review following their receipt. The peer review was
only finalised in March 2025.
(2) Finalisation of the research summary was a
collaborative process. The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation,
Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation and Curtin University discussed the content of
the summary document through multiple drafts. Drafts of the research summary
were developed from mid-2024 to early-2025.
(3) No. The final version of the research summary
was agreed by the lead scientist on the monitoring program, Professor Ben
Mullins from Curtin University.
for some notice of the question.
(1) I reject the premise of the member's question.
The draft year 2 report and interim environmental quality criteria (EQC) were
subject to independent peer review following their receipt. The peer review was
only finalised in March 2025.
(2) Finalisation of the research summary was a
collaborative process. The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation,
Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation and Curtin University discussed the content of
the summary document through multiple drafts. Drafts of the research summary
were developed from mid-2024 to early-2025.
(3) No. The final version of the research summary
was agreed by the lead scientist on the monitoring program, Professor Ben
Mullins from Curtin University.
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