Dinosaur fossil expert Dr Steven Salisbury, has called for the dinosaur footprint tracksites along the Dampier Peninsula coast north of Broome to be fully protected from the impacts of industrial development, saying that the coastline is unique to science and provides an unrivalled snapshot of a 130 million year old ecosystem.

University of Queensland palaeontologist Dr Salisbury has recently returned from a research trip to the area and will speak at a public forum tonight on the proposed gas hub at James Price Point: 6.30 - 8pm, The Palms Community Centre, Rokeby Rd, Subiaco.

"The full extent and scientific significance of dinosaur tracksites along the Dampier Peninsula coastline, north of Broome, is only just emerging. Footprints in the 130 million year old Broome Sandstone are exposed along 200 km of coastline. At least 15 different types of dinosaur footprints can be recognised, making this one of the most diverse dinosaur footprint assemblages anywhere in the world."

"These are the only dinosaur footprints in Western Australia, and with the exception of a few fragments of bone, constitute almost the entire record of dinosaurs from the western half the Australian continent," explained University of Queensland palaeontologist Dr Steve Salisbury.

"The entire coastline needs to be protected. All the footprints together tell a unique story, one that is virtually unmatched anywhere else in the world. Losing any of these tracksites to industrial development would detract from the immense scientific value of the area."

"The dinosaurs' footprints in the Broome Sandstone are preserved in a range of ancient environmental settings, including coastal floodplains, swamps and lagoons," Dr Salisbury said.

"This is one of the few places in the world where we can examine the abundance of different types of dinosaurs across a range of habitats through time. The tracksites also afford unique insights into the behaviour and social interactions of different dinosaurs. Once all dinosaur tracksites have been properly documented, they will provide an unrivalled snapshot of a 130 million year old ecosystem.

"To industrialise this coastline would definitely impact on the national heritage value of the dinosaur footprints. Some dinosaur tracksites will definitely be destroyed, and others will likely be placed at risk from vandalism or theft. Our understanding of this unique snapshot of a Mesozoic ecosystem will be severely compromised, and ancient songlines will be broken forever. I don't think that we can afford to let that happen."

Conservation groups have renewed their call for Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to use powers under Commonwealth Environment legislation to ensure the protection of the dinosaur trackway and the other environmental and cultural values of the Dampier Peninsula.

Conservation Council Director Piers Verstegen said "Dr. Salisbury's call to protect the dinosaur footprints adds weight to the case for Minister Burke to put an end to the destruction that has already started at James Price Point."

"Irreplaceable features including dinosaur trackways, endangered Bilbies, coral reefs, ancient rainforests, and a critical calving ground for Humpback Whales are all under threat by plans to construct an industrial gas processing plant on the pristine Kimberley coastline, but Minister Burke can still stop the destruction."

Dr Steve Salisbury, together with James Price Point Traditional Owner Neil Mackenzie, will be talking about the latest Kimberley's dinosaur footprint research at a special Community Forum in Subiaco on Tuesday 9 August, hosted by the Wilderness Society.