Australia plans first oil refinery in 60 years amid Indigenous heritage concerns

Australia is set to build its first oil refinery in more than six decades, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announcing that the multinational company Perdaman will lead the project. A pre-feasibility study, costing $4 million, will explore the construction of such a facility on the West Australian coast.

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This is a company that has and continuously has no respect to engage … or consider anything that the traditional owners or the people of the country have to say.

Perdaman, an Indian-owned company headquartered in Perth, has diverse interests including fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, property, chemicals, labor hire, and renewable energy. The announcement was made at Perdaman's Project Ceres site, a large urea plant under construction on the Burrup Peninsula, also known as Murujuga. Global urea supply chains have been disrupted by the war in the Middle East, leading to soaring domestic fertilizer prices. The urea plant, slated to open next year, is expected to produce 2.3 million tonnes annually, positioning it as one of the world's largest.

However, the emergence of Perdaman on the national stage is met with controversy by those living near the $6.4 billion flagship project. Murujuga is a culturally significant area for traditional owners, featuring tens of thousands of ancient Indigenous rock carvings, some dating back 50,000 years. Samantha Walker, a Ngarluma woman and Murujuga custodian, has voiced strong opposition to the Perdaman plant, citing concerns for the ancient petroglyphs. She criticized the company's engagement with Indigenous people, stating they show "no respect to engage … or consider anything that the traditional owners or the people of the country have to say."

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If you can't listen to the people who belong to that landscape, who belong to the country and know the country best.

Walker described Perdaman as "skipping hurdles" regarding consultation with the five Aboriginal language groups responsible for Murujuga. Three sacred sites were relocated with government approval after consultation with the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation (MAC), which represents the language groups. However, the decision was opposed by several traditional owners, and a letter suggested MAC initially refused consent before agreeing. Perdaman was not legally obligated to seek this permission as the land was already zoned for industrial use.

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They're just … skipping hurdles to get to where they want to be.