Weeli Wolli Creek - WA

In the arid inland regions of the Pilbara, in Western Australia, water is a precious resource. Permanent bodies of water are rare, and many creeks flow only during short annual rainy seasons. In this unique ecosystem, water sources are carefully guarded to maintain the delicate balance that enables this land and the life within it to thrive. Such is the case at Weeli Wolli Springs and Creek, whose traditional owners—the Banyjima and Nyiyaparli tribes—have cared for it for untold generations. It is a place of spiritual and cultural significance, filled with mythological and ceremonial sites.

Today, Rio Tinto Iron Ore, in order to mine an ore body beneath the water table, is pumping out ground water, thus draining the springs and sending a continuous rush of water down the once-seasonal creek. Although the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority gave the project its approval, traditional owners and conservationists have already begun to witness damage to the ecosystem as well as indications that the company may not follow through on all of its commitments to mitigate environmental impacts.