Murujuga's wealth flows out as local Indigenous people question the benefit
Murujuga's gas and mining operations generate billions while local Indigenous people live in poverty.
Murujuga is a Pilbara peninsula with an estimated two million Aboriginal rock engravings. UNESCO added it to its World Heritage list in 2025.
Gas plants, storage tanks and pipelines run by Woodside Energy now dominate the landscape. A 1998 Land Access Agreement gave Woodside rights to develop the land.
In the first half of 2026, Woodside reported about 10.4 billion dollars in operating revenue. Yet nearby in Roebourne, 87 per cent of Indigenous residents earn less than the national median income.
Questions have emerged about how the agreement was negotiated and whether some Elders had proper independent legal advice.
- Two million
- Rock engravings
- 2025
- UNESCO listing
- 10.4 billion dollars
- Woodside H1 2026 revenue
- 87 per cent
- Roebourne residents below median income
Why it mattersRaises questions about whether Aboriginal communities are fairly compensated for resource extraction from their heritage lands.
AustraliaHighlights ongoing tensions in Australia over who benefits from resource extraction on Indigenous lands.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 1 h ago
