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Thursday, 9 February 2012
Page: 725

National Heritage List

(Question No. 1471)

Senator Siewert asked the Minister representing the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, upon notice, on 21 November 2011:

(1) In regard to the King Sound boundary of the west Kimberley National Heritage listing, is the boundary:

   (a) to the shoreline; if so, how is the 'shoreline' defined;

   (b) to the high tide line;

   (c) to the low tide line; or

   (d) to the Australian Height Datum.

(2) As the only listed National Heritage value for King Sound is the historical use of the galwa (Aboriginal raft), is the Minister aware:

   (a) that the King Sound area has the highest tides in Australia; if so, why is this not a listed heritage value;

   (b) of the published scientific paper by Semeniuk and Brocx that describes the: (i) international geo-heritage significance of King Sound, and (ii) the King Sound mangrove forests as globally unique; if so, why are they not listed heritage values; and

   (c) that the King Sound mangrove forests are recommended by the Australian Heritage Council to be registered on the National Estate; if so, why are they not listed as a heritage value.

Senator Conroy: The Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) (a) Yes, the relevant part of the West Kimberley National Heritage place boundary in King Sound is the south-western boundary, which follows the shoreline from latitude 17.482S to longitude 123.103E. "Shoreline" is not defined in the EPBC Act. The Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines "shoreline" as "the line along which a large body of water meets the land".

   (b) No.

   (c) No.

   (d) No.

(2) While the historical use of the galwa (double log raft) is the only listed national heritage value for most of King Sound, parts of the sound are also encompassed by the geological heritage value of the Kimberley ria coast, the aesthetic value of the coast, and the value associated with the 1688 William Dampier landing.

   (a) Tidal movements in the west Kimberley were considered by the Australian Heritage Council in its assessment but were not found of themselves to be of national heritage value. Tidal movements are acknowledged as part of the aesthetic value of the coast and the historical use of the galwa.

   (b) The department advises that the paper by V Semeniuk and M Brocx entitled "King Sound and the tide-dominated delta of the Fitzroy River: their geoheritage values" was published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia in June 2011, one year after the Council completed its assessment.

The Australian Heritage Council considered the mangrove forests of King Sound in its assessment, but did not find them to be of national heritage value.

   (c) The King Sound mangrove forests have not been recommended by the Australian Heritage Council for listing in the Register of the National Estate.