A leading archaeologist has raised concerns over a 50,000-year-old rock art site in Western Australia due to a government decision extending a nearby gas project. Environment Minister Murray Watt approved Woodside Energy's operations until 2070, risking pollution to one million petroglyphs. Archaeology professor Benjamin Smith suggests that simple innovations could mitigate damage and preserve the art. Smith emphasizes the importance of tight regulations to prevent further erosion from pollutants and highlights the potential for natural bacteria to help restore the rock surfaces if pollution is controlled.
"If we clean up their act, actually those (rock) surfaces can become strong again, and even the holes could get filled in by these little micro bacteria."
"As a scientist, I'd like to see those conditions be strict; we need to ensure that the operations don't continue to damage the rock art."
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