A crumbling 98-year-old wall above Western Australia's iconic Wave Rock has sparked a debate between Indigenous custodians seeking to restore the natural landscape and local authorities prioritizing water security and public safety.
The low concrete and masonry structure, built in 1928 to divert rainwater into the Wave Rock Reservoir, is deteriorating and has been vandalized. Tar seeping from the aging wall has stained the famous granite formation, altering its natural appearance in ways that Indigenous residents say represent a profound loss of cultural heritage.
Indigenous Voices Call for Restoration
Noongar man and Hyden local Michael Ward says the rock face has changed dramatically from his childhood, when the colour of Wave Rock was "like the stripes of a tiger." He's calling for the wall's removal, at least temporarily, to allow rainwater to flow naturally over the 2.7-billion-year-old formation located 330 kilometres east of Perth.
"It feels like the wave has been coloured-in compared to what it used to look like," Ward said. He explained that the wall's deterioration has created a slow-moving water seepage rather than the natural fast-flowing wash that once kept the rock clean. "When they put the emulsion on top and sealed it, it worked initially," he said. "Over the years the wall has aged, and water is now able to seep underneath. Instead of fast-flowing water washing over the rock, it's become slow-moving, allowing pigment and sediment from the tar to stain the wave face."
Ward envisions a restored natural state where "the amplifying sound of the water crashing down [would be] huge." He added, "That's its natural flow. Before the wall was put on top, the water would naturally flow down whenever it rained."
Water Security Concerns
Kondinin Shire president and local farmer Kent Mouritz believes the wall should remain, citing the reservoir as an important non-potable water source for firefighting. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services has established a water-bombing station at Wave Rock only a couple of kilometres away. Mouritz also said, "The other reason I don't want to see it removed is because it helps stop people from falling off the rock."
The Water Corporation defended the structure's continued use, saying climate change's long-term impacts on water sources across the Great Southern region, combined with increasing demand, meant the Wave Rock Reservoir remained crucial for the community. The agency said retaining the reservoir supported local farming interests and helped reduce demand on scheme water.
A Water Corporation spokesperson said a ranger had visited Wave Rock to assess the wall's condition. "While some small sections of the catchment wall are missing, enough rainfall is being funnelled to fill the dam," the spokesperson said, adding that the corporation continues periodic inspections and schedules repairs when required.
Why This Matters:
This dispute highlights the tension between competing public interests: Indigenous cultural heritage and environmental restoration on one side, and water security and public safety infrastructure on the other. The staining of a 2.7-billion-year-old natural formation by a deteriorating 20th-century structure raises questions about whether short-term utility should override long-term preservation of irreplaceable landscapes. As climate change intensifies water scarcity across Western Australia, communities will face more of these difficult choices between industrial-era infrastructure and natural systems. The voices of Indigenous custodians like Ward offer critical perspective on what's been lost when development prioritizes extraction over preservation, and what might be regained through restoration that honors both ecological and cultural values.