The North Kimberley Marine Park consultation has now closed to an amazing response – over 16,000 people made submissions to ask for greater protection!
It’s not surprising in many ways, as this is such a unique place (like nowhere else) and we loved that many of the submissions included personal stories about why the Kimberley is special to people and their reasons to protect it. We wanted to share a few of our favourites with you, alongside some more beautiful shots of the North Kimberley – enjoy.
Ray, Perth “My visits to the Kimberley have been many and each time I have focused on what was so precious in the unspoiled environment… I travelled further north to have that experience of the healing and revitalising of my being of the pristine environment. The wide open country, the colors of the earth and the sea, the magic of the quiet and peaceful land. All hard to define in everyday language for me – so important. Please give this area maximum protection.” (image: Pam Jennings)
Susan, Perth “The Marine Parks are a starting point, but the whole coastline needs to be protected, to ensure that we preserve this unique underwater environment. I am a Volunteer Guide on Rottnest Island, and have seen what a difference Marine Sanctuaries can have to protect the areas off the island where fishing and other activities abound. It is an astonishing difference. Can we not learn from historical lessons of previous Marine protected Areas?” (image: Julia Rau, Environs Kimberley)
Including the 16,000 submissions for the Roebuck Bay Marine Park and 18,000 for the Horizontal Falls Marine Park, over 50,000 submissions have been made to Government in the last year to call for better protection of the Kimberley – breaking all previous records!
This an amazing achievement and a strong statement of public support for the Kimberley, which is already having an impact. In the recent WA Budget, an extra $22 million was announced for wildlife management in the Kimberley. The final plans for the Marine Parks are due out later this year – we will see then if sanctuary zones will be increased to ensure real protection for the Kimberley coast.
We’d like to thank you all for your ongoing support and passion for protecting the Kimberley – we couldn’t have achieved this great result without you.
