BURRUP PENINSULA —
ROCK ACIDITY
1245. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the Minister for Environment:
I refer to the document titled ''Effects
of moisture, micronutrient supplies and microbiological activity on the surface
pH of rocks in the Burrup Peninsula'', authored by Ian D. MacLeod, and
to the site's most acidic rock, with a pH of 3.58, which was found in
June 2003 in a gully a few hundred metres downwind from the gas production
facility, and is known as the big goanna petroglyph.
(1) Is the
minister aware that the acidity of this site has changed remarkably to that of
almost neutral—in the region of pH 7—in the last year when all
the surrounding rocks still retained a reading of approximately pH 3.6?
(2) If yes to (1), does the minister
understand the reason for this dramatic change?
(3) If no to (1), will the minister
investigate why the pH has changed?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1)–(3) It
is not clear to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation which site
the honourable member is referring to in the question. If the honourable member
provides further details, the department can give further consideration to the
issue.
The McGowan government has committed
to a reliable scientific investigation on these matters and has released the
Murujuga rock art strategy, which provides a monitoring, analysis and
decision-making framework to protect Aboriginal rock art. The monitoring
program will deliver a scientifically rigorous approach to monitoring and analysis. The procurement of the monitoring
program is anticipated to conclude by the end of 2019.