The Premier has made many promises to protect the Kimberley.

In last October, he finally gave some more detail to those promises, announcing plans to create four new marine parks as part of his promised Kimberley and Conservation Strategy.

These new marine parks are to include Camden Sound, the location of world's largest humpback whale nursery, plus three other parks to be declared in the North Kimberley, at Roebuck Bay and Eighty Mile Beach over the coming year.

The Camden Sound and North Kimberley marine parks will be managed together as the Greater Kimberley Marine Park. The Greater Kimberley Marine Park will extend from Montgomery Reef in the south, up to Cape Londonderry in the north.

Unfortunately, the Premier's current marine park plans don't offer real protection for the Kimberley's marine environment. Under the proposed Camden Sound plan:

• Just 13% of the marine park will be in fully-protected sanctuary zones - areas where marine life can feed, breed and flourish without interference;
• Over 80% of the park will be open to a combination of mining, oil and gas development and commercial fishing, including trawling; and
• The draft park boundaries and zones do not appear to follow science-based principles of marine conservation.

Marine parks that just carry on 'business as usual' without real sanctuaries are parks in name only – they won't do the job.

It's time to make sure the Premier's actions on the Kimberley match his rhetoric.

Let's get the balance right – Western Australia deserves an environmental legacy from the economic boom.

"The Kimberley is a great wilderness area. It’s Australia’s responsibility to ensure the Kimberley is protected and preserved for future generations…"
Premier Barnett, 15 October, 2009, Speech to APPEA

"….we want to see the most sensitive and the most spectacular parts of the Kimberley preserved forever."
Premier Barnett, 8 September, 2009 Speech to Petroleum Club of Western Australia

"….we as a community will create one of the world's greatest wilderness parks in the Kimberley."
Premier Barnett, 4 March 2010, Speech to CEDA

"We share with you a responsibility to protect our environment and we will certainly take the decision to protect in particular the Kimberley."
Premier Barnett, 15 October, 2009, Transcript - Speech to APPEA

"…we are to declare Camden Sound as a marine park, to ensure all the protection for that very pristine and unique environment….and ensures that the whale population and this pristine and beautiful part of Western Australia will be preserved forever."
Premier Barnett, 3 October 2009, Camden Sound Press Conference

"I mean, the Kimberley is Australia's great wilderness frontier….We have a broad responsibility as a community to preserve that and protect it for the long-term future."
Premier Barnett, 8 September, 2009 Speech to Petroleum Club of Western Australia

"The north-west Kimberley is one of the most pristine areas remaining in the world and the Government is committed to protecting the natural character of the Kimberley wilderness for future generations."
Premier Barnett, Friday, 22nd October 2010, Media Statement