Oil and gas exploration could be allowed in some of the Kimberley's best-loved national parks after the Department of Mines and Petroleum gave the green light for petroleum exploration in four of them.
One of six recently released petroleum tenements covers the Kimberley's Windjana Gorge National Park, Tunnel Creek National Park, Devonian Reef Conservation Park, and Brooking Gorge Conservation Park.
Oil and gas exploration within the national parks and conservation parks would only be possible after a petroleum company had come to an agreement with native title holders and gained government approval according to the Department of Mines and Petroleum's (DMP) acting executive director for the petroleum division, Denis Wills.
"They do not have an automatic right to go and start petroleum activities in these areas until they have gone through a rigorous approval process that involves a whole of government approach," Mr Wills said.
He said exploration within national and conservation parks had to be assessed for environmental impacts if they triggered an agreement with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).
"We have a memorandum of understanding with that authority that any activities within 500 metres of an environmentally sensitive area, such as wetlands or threatened ecological communities … have to be referred to the EPA," Mr Wills said.
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