By Sonali Paul
MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Australia has formally nominated the Murujuga Indigenous cultural landscape for a UNESCO World Heritage listing, which could help protect more than a million ancient rock carvings, the government said on Friday.
"This place, the culture, the continuity - it has real significance for the whole world," Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said at an event in Murujuga National Park in Western Australia, announcing the nomination.
UNESCO's consideration of the proposal, which was filed in late January, is expected to take at least 18 months.
In September, the government appointed an independent investigator to assess whether industrial development on the Burrup Peninsula is damaging the Murujuga rock art and landscape.
There are two liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants run by Woodside Energy Group and fertiliser and explosives plants run by Norway's Yara International in the industrial zone.
Privately owned Perdaman Chemicals also has approval to build a $2.7 billion urea plant on the peninsula.
Woodside, Yara and Perdaman all said they supported the World Heritage listing and were working with the traditional custodians to protect their heritage.
"As an organisation we understand and respect the cultural significance of Murujuga to the Traditional Owners and the local, national and global importance of the ancient rock art," Yara Pilbara General Manager Laurent Trost said.
Woodside supports the listing "on the basis of the coexistence of heritage and industry", a spokesperson said.
The Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation, officially recognised as the traditional owners' representative, led the preparation of the World Heritage nomination.
"For more than two decades, the Ngarda-Ngarli have aspired for World Heritage listing of Murujuga and for our traditional knowledge and lore to be at the centre of decision-making, governance and management of this land and sea country," the group's chief executive, Peter Jeffries, said.
A group called Save our Songlines, which has disagreed with the Murujuga Aboriginal Corp over industrial development, raised doubts that a World Heritage listing would protect the ancient landscape from industrial damage.
"Support for this nomination from Woodside, Perdaman and the WA Government is deeply hypocritical while they are at the same time pushing ahead with projects that will destroy the very cultural values the listing is supposed to protect," Murujuga traditional custodian Raelene Cooper, representing Save our Songlines, said in a statement.