Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke has announced the heritage listing of nearly 20 million hectares of Western Australia's Kimberley region.
He travelled to Gambanan near One Arm Point on the Dampier Peninsula to join traditional owners for the announcement.
The listed area stretches from Cape Leveque to Cambridge Gulf and includes the Kimberley Plateau, the Fitzroy River and land south of the Oscar and Napier Ranges.
But James Price Point, earmarked for Woodside's proposed LNG hub, has been omitted.
The fight to prevent it from being built on the Dampier Peninsula is still raging, with locals arguing it will destroy sacred sites.
Environmental groups have slammed the omission.
"There's a whole range of threats and an industrialisation agenda going on here in the Kimberley, and we want to see the environment minister contend with that," the Acting Director of Environs Kimberley Emma Belfield told SBS.
"It's one thing to recognise these values, but it's another thing to protect them," she said.
The West Australian government contends the site was chosen because construction there would have minimal impact.
The Australian Conservation Foundation has welcomed the current heritage listing, but they are hopeful that more sections can be included.
"There are some areas outside the listing that have important values in our view," AFC Director Don Henry told SBS.
"They haven't been listed at this stage because there's inadequate science. We're urging the Australian heritage council to have a look at the Dampier peninsula, and consider enlisting them at the future date".
Those already on the list will enjoy protection rights for wildlife, coastlines and Indigenous sites, while land ownership, native title, and existing activities on the land, will remain unaffected.
Greens senator Rachel Siewert said while she was glad the dinosaur tracks near James Price Point were included in the heritage listing, it was "unfortunate" that the James Price Point site itself was not included.
"The high level of concerns about the social and environmental impact of the project, the native title process undertaken and the longer term implications for the Kimberley must all still be dealt with," she said.
Mining companies slam listing
Mining lobby groups say mining companies may scrap projects planned for the west Kimberley as a result of the federal government's decision to heritage-list the region.
Nicole Roocke, director of WA's Chamber of Minerals and Energy (CME), said the decision to heritage-list 19 million square kilometres of the west Kimberley would restrict development.
"Now the decision has been made, (companies) will need to go back and review the feasibility of their projects and make a determination as to whether the viability of their projects will be impacted," she said.
The Association of Mining and Exploration Companies said the decision added an "unwarranted and unnecessary layer of approval" for future mineral exploration and mining activities.
Policy manager Graham Short said although some areas in the Kimberley had indigenous and historic value, it was "not all pristine and iconic".
"Many of the selected areas have yet to be subject to any form of scientific assessment in order to determine their conservation values," he said.
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