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Australia's High Court is this week scrutinizing a controversial extension of Woodside Energy's massive North West Shelf gas project, which traditional custodians and scientists warn is damaging the world's oldest and largest collection of Aboriginal rock art at Murujuga (Burrup Peninsula) in Western Australia. The case, heard in Melbourne from July 21-24, 2026, pits the economic value of fossil fuel exports against the irreplaceable cultural heritage of the Murujuga Cultural Landscape — a UNESCO World Heritage site inscribed just one year ago.
What is Murujuga and Why Is It Under Threat?
Murujuga, meaning 'hip bone sticking out' in the Ngayarda languages of the Yaburara people, is home to over one million petroglyphs (rock engravings) dating back up to 50,000 years — older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Giza. The site contains the world's oldest known depiction of a human face and images of now-extinct megafauna such as the thylacine (Tasmanian tiger). For the traditional custodians — the Yaburara, Ngarluma, Mardudhunera, Yindjibarndi and Wong-Goo-Tt-Oo peoples — the rock art is not merely ancient history but a living connection to the Dreamtime, the foundation of Aboriginal spirituality and law.
However, since the 1970s, the peninsula has been transformed into Australia's largest fossil fuel export hub. Woodside's North West Shelf gas plant, located directly opposite the rock art precinct, processes liquefied natural gas (LNG) for export — primarily to Asian markets — at a rate of approximately 14.3 million tonnes per year. In September 2025, Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt granted a 45-year extension allowing the plant to operate until 2070, a decision that has sparked multiple legal challenges.
The UNESCO World Heritage listing process for Murujuga faced significant hurdles due to industrial pollution concerns, yet Australia successfully lobbied for inscription in July 2025 despite warnings from UNESCO's advisory body ICOMOS.
Scientific Evidence of Damage
Acidic Emissions Accelerating Weathering
Independent scientific research, including a study published in Nature Scientific Reports, has found that acidic and nitrate-rich emissions from the adjacent gas plants are accelerating the natural weathering of the 2.7 billion-year-old igneous rocks that bear the petroglyphs. The engravings were made by etching away the outer red-brown iron oxide layer to expose pale weathered clay beneath. Industrial pollutants, including ammonia, ozone and black carbon, are breaking down this protective patina.
Professor Adrian Baddeley, a leading statistician from Curtin University who was involved in government-commissioned research, told reporters: 'Our preliminary research results unequivocally showed that pollution damages the rocks. The closer the rocks are to the industry, the more brittle they become.' However, Baddeley withdrew from the study after his findings were allegedly misrepresented in the final government report, stating: 'I felt I had no other choice, because I want to be able to sleep at night. For peace of mind, I must insist that the integrity of the research remains intact.'
Four Billion Tonnes of Emissions
Beyond local pollution, environmental groups point to the project's staggering climate impact. The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) estimates that the extension will lock in approximately four billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over its lifetime — more than a decade of Australia's total annual emissions. The Climate Council notes this exceeds New Zealand's entire 2023 output. The ACF has launched a Federal Court challenge arguing that Minister Watt improperly considered economic benefits while omitting critical climate damage assessments.
The global climate litigation trend is gaining momentum, with the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, Astrid Puentes Riaño, filing an unprecedented application to intervene as amicus curiae in the Australian case — a first for a UN official in an Australian court.
Traditional Custodians Fight for Survival
Raelene Cooper, a Mardudhunera woman and former chair of the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation, has been at the forefront of the legal battle. In February 2022, she lodged a protection application under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act, but says no decision has been made after more than four years of delay. 'I am sick of waiting,' Cooper told the Federal Court in August 2025.
Cooper has also filed a complaint with UNESCO alleging the Australian government breached the World Heritage Convention by approving industrial projects that cause physical and emission-based harm to the site. Speaking at Murujuga, she said: 'We are fighting for our history, our stories. We are fighting for our survival. You can see the changes in the rocks and the engravings — they are less clear than before.'
Cooper's legal team argues that the environment minister was aware of evidence showing irreversible damage from industrial emissions prior to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting in July 2025 but lobbied state parties to the contrary.
The Indigenous land rights movement in Australia has seen significant victories in recent years, but the Murujuga case highlights the tension between economic development and cultural preservation.
What's at Stake in the High Court?
The current High Court hearing in Melbourne is considering three interrelated challenges:
- Friends of Australian Rock Art (FARA) argues the minister failed to consider the economic and social harms of the project, focusing only on purported job benefits while ignoring irreversible damage to the rock art.
- Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) contends the approval wrongly considered economic benefits from the unapproved Browse gas project and failed to assess climate impacts properly.
- Raelene Cooper's heritage application seeks to compel the government to make a timely decision on her protection order, which could impose conditions on industrial operations near the rock art.
The cases are being heard together, with the UN Special Rapporteur granted leave to intervene in May 2026. A decision is expected later this year. Woodside maintains the approval followed extensive review and that strict conditions are in place to protect the rock art. The company stated: 'The approval of the project extension followed a comprehensive and thorough assessment by both federal and state governments, and in accordance with legal procedures.'
FAQ: Murujuga Rock Art and the Gas Project
How old is the Murujuga rock art?
The oldest petroglyphs at Murujuga are estimated to be between 40,000 and 50,000 years old, making them among the oldest known rock art in the world.
What is Woodside's North West Shelf project?
It is Australia's largest LNG export facility, processing approximately 14.3 million tonnes of gas annually, primarily for Asian markets. The extension allows operations until 2070.
What evidence exists of damage to the rock art?
Independent studies, including research by Curtin University and a Nature Scientific Reports paper, found that acidic and nitrate-rich industrial emissions are accelerating weathering of the rock surfaces, making them more brittle and causing engravings to fade.
What is the UN's role in this case?
The UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment has made an unprecedented application to intervene in the Australian Federal Court case, arguing Australia is obligated to prevent significant environmental harm.
When will the court decision be announced?
The High Court hearing runs from July 21-24, 2026, with a decision expected later in the year.
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