The area in which Woodside hopes to build a coastal storage and wharf facility and inland gas plant is also home to a collection of ancient Aboriginal rock art, according to a West Australian report.

Woodside told the newspaper that it would be more expensive and take longer to build the facilities elsewhere and could compromise its LNG export contracts.

As a result, the company has applied to the State Government to move a small amount of rock art to make way for the development.

But yesterday the WA Government released a draft environmental management plan for the Burrup, which contains provisions to protect the rock art and provide employment to local Indigenous people through new business opportunities.

WA Environment Minister Mark McGowan said the plan focused on the proposed freehold Aboriginal lands that would form the Burrup Peninsula Conservation Reserve.

“Under the plan, the land will be jointly managed as a conservation reserve by the state and an Aboriginal body corporate,” he said.

“The area is known for its ancient Aboriginal rock art, some of which dates back 20,000 years.”

The draft management plan for the proposed Burrup Conservation Reserve was co-developed by the Department of Environment and Conservation with traditional landowners, the Ngarda-ngarli people.

The draft plan will be available for public comment over the next two months.