The Kimberley under threat
The Magnificent Tree Frog: one of the Kimberley's endemic frogs
© Jiri Lochman / Lochman Transparencies
While the Kimberley is famous worldwide for its rich cultural and natural heritage, the region faces serious threats from invasive species like the advancing front of the cane toad, and from weeds which out-compete native species. Mild, early-season fires that once sustained the region are now replaced by late-season infernos that lay waste to whole landscapes.
Some Kimberley offshore ecosystems have suffered from such heavy overfishing that some species of shark, for example, are now rarely seen where once they were plentiful.
Massive gas and mining projects also threaten the Kimberley, including its coral reefs and islands.
The region is currently under threat from multiple major industrial developments which could lead to the loss of habitat for its unique species, and damage natural processes.
WWF's vision for the Kimberley and position on major development
Rock beach at Cape Leveque, a remote coastal wilderness, 220kms north of Broome at the tip of the Dampier Peninsula
© WWF / P Gamblin
WWF's vision is for the key natural and cultural values of the Kimberley to be identified and protected through a range of mechanisms. This might include World Heritage Listing, for example. Indigenous knowledge and management (such as through Indigenous Protected Areas) are pivotal in these endeavors, and healthy, resilient communities must be part of any long-term vision for the Kimberley.
WWF believes that some forms of development are clearly inappropriate in some areas, so for example, we have strenuously resisted plans for the construction of a gas processing plant on Scott Reef (a coral atoll). Processing involves the cooling of gas into liquid form (Liquified Natural Gas or LNG) which reduces its volume by 600 times so it can be shipped long distances. This, and associated purification processes, requires large and complex infrastructure, including a deepwater port.
Threatened Flatback Turtles nest on Kimberley beaches
© Jiri Lochman / Lochman Transparencies
Our position on gas development is that if it can be shown that new gas infrastructure cannot be constructed in appropriate existing industrialized areas between Karratha (Pilbara) and Darwin then these separate projects must be co-located in a ‘hub.' This will help to limit impacts (although not eliminate them) to one ‘greenfield' area. However, this should only occur if a suitable location can be found. This is because these very large projects can damage coastal and marine ecosystems like coral reefs, and species like turtles and dugong.
WWF is also tracking the implications of these gas projects for their greenhouse gas emissions. Kimberley offshore gas fields - known as the Browse Basin - can have relatively high levels of carbon dioxide. WWF advocates responsible geosequestration (burying) of carbon dioxide rather than it being emitted into the atmosphere. Considerable greenhouse gasses are also emitted during the processing of gas into LNG and this too must be managed responsibly.
For all processing options, rigorous, scientific assessment is needed before any judgments can be made about development. WWF has been working intensively for some years to build support for a systematic approach (described as strategic environmental assessment), which replaces one where projects are assessed in isolation from each other, and without region-wide assessment and conservation planning.
