The End Forest Mining (EFM) alliance has called an agreement reached with the Australian Government and US mining giant Alcoa to pay $55 million to “remediate historical land clearing” without approval as “a slap on the wrist”.
The clearing between 2019 and 2025 took place without Alcoa seeking approvals under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. “It took place in a known habitat for nationally protected species,” Minister Watts’ release stated.
EFM spokespeople, including the Conservation Council of WA (CCWA), the WA Forest Alliance (WAFA) and The Wilderness Society (TWS), said it was alarming the Federal Government had given Alcoa an 18-month exemption to keep mining in Perth’s Northern Jarrah Forest until a full assessment is completed.
CCWA Executive Director Matt Roberts said It was alarming that Alcoa had been given an 18-month exemption to keep strip-mining.
“Time and again we’ve seen Alcoa cannot be trusted when it comes to its 60-year history of mining in the Northern Jarrah Forest, destroying critical habitat for endangered species like the iconic black cockatoo, and putting Perth’s drinking water supply at imminent risk of contamination,” Mr Roberts said.
“The Minister said that among his priorities for granting an exemption under the ‘national interest’ was to support future gallium production, minerals for defence purposes and strengthening partnerships with trading partners, the US and Japan.
“Last on the list of priorities was protecting the jobs of people who work at Alcoa while the strategic assessment is completed.
“The federal government should be working with the state government on an exit policy for this company and other bauxite miners from our South West forests, with a plan to transition workers into other industries.”
WAFA Director Jess Boyce, said that while the Federal Government appeared to be taking Alcoa’s destruction of the Northern Jarrah Forests seriously with this $55 million fine today, there was “devil in the detail”.
“WAFA, and our partners in the EFM alliance, are deeply concerned about how the assessment has been framed as guiding Alcoa in mining sustainably, which is simply not possible,” Ms Boyce said.
“Research shows that the unique Northern Jarrah Forests cannot be replaced once mined for bauxite, and Alcoa’s rehabilitation has failed at every level.
“Alcoa has been operating under an exemption from the WA Government since late 2023 and is currently being investigated for a claimed breach of that order for mining within 10 metres of a significant roosting tree.
“Now the Federal Government has uncovered unauthorised clearing for at least six years, and yet Alcoa has been given another exemption.
“Enough is enough, both exemption orders must be revoked, and Alcoa’s mining operations halted until governments can thoroughly assess the serious and long-term impact of its mining.”
TWS WA Campaigns Manager Alyx Douglas said “we have a jarrah forest that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world, and once it’s strip-mined, it cannot be bought back to its original condition, no matter how much money you throw at it – once it’s gone, it’s gone forever”.
“As recently as last year, Alcoa stated that it had rehabilitated 75% of the area it has mined over the past 60 years. That claim was called-out by Ads Standards Australia as false,” Ms Douglas said.
“In reality, Alcoa has not rehabilitated even one hectare of land successfully according to state government requirements, or community standards. Yet time and time again, Alcoa is handed these ‘get out of jail free cards’ by the state—and now federal—government, no matter how much irrecoverable damage is being done.”
Media contact: John Cooke – 0433 679 780