The End Forest Mining alliance and Bibbul Ngarma Aboriginal Association (BNAA) have welcomed news that exploration drilling in the northern parts of Alcoa’s mineral lease in the Perth hills region has been ruled out for at least the next few years, but have called for these areas to be permanently protected.
In a letter from the company to Member for Kalamunda Adam Hort, the US-based mining giant confirmed that exploration drilling within the Shire of Mundaring and Cities of Kalamunda and Armadale has been removed from its 2025-2029 and 2026-2030 Mining and Management Programs (MMP).
It also stated these areas would not be included in the Federal Government’s strategic assessment of Alcoa’s operational areas between now and 2045.
The alliance said the announcement was further evidence that Alcoa had lost its social license, with growing numbers of people calling for the US-based mining giant to leave WA’s irreplaceable forests permanently.
BNAA, alongside a number of local governments, have led the calls for the areas to be removed from mining plans, with particular concern for drinking water catchments.
However, the commitment does not prohibit Alcoa from submitting new proposals for exploration or mining in these parts of the Perth hills in a few years, so the alliance is calling on the Cook Labor Government to excise these areas permanently from Alcoa’s enormous mining lease and include them in a network of protected areas across the Northern Jarrah Forests.
“Alcoa cites community feedback for this latest decision, so it needs to start listening to the voices behind the 59,000 public submissions which were lodged with the Environment Protection Authority during last year’s 12-week public consultation period over the company’s current and future mining plans in the Northern Jarrah Forest,” said Conservation Council of WA Executive Director, Matt Roberts.
“West Australian communities have sent a very loud and clear message that the destruction of the world’s only jarrah forests will no longer be tolerated; this is a win for people power, and we won’t stop advocating for our forests and the threatened species they support,” he added.
“Last year’s public consultation period was the first time in 60 years that the WA public had been afforded an opportunity to scrutinise the Alcoa’s mining operations and the response was damning,” said WA Forest Alliance Director, Jess Boyce.
“Clearly, the people of WA took up this opportunity to share their anger on the continued threat that not just new mines, but exploration poses to the Northern Jarrah Forest and its biodiversity, climate, culture, water, and natural heritage for future generations. That voice continues to grow.”
“Hundreds of hectares of precious forests are being destroyed every year whilst Alcoa is granted exemption after exemption from State and Federal environment laws, despite ongoing breaches and deceptive conduct,” said The Wilderness Society WA Campaigns Manager, Alyx Douglas.
“Our state government now needs to respect the views of the WA public and call an end to 60 years of destruction.”
In response to the news, BNAA Executive Director Francesca Flynn thanked everyone who “stood strong to protect our community, Country, and most importantly, our drinking water”.
“It’s a huge relief that Alcoa will not be exploring or mining around Mundaring Weir, but now more than ever, we need to stand together to protect all drinking water catchments,” Ms Flynn said.
“We strongly believe that mining is fundamentally incompatible with forest drinking water catchments. The risks are enormous and potentially irreversible, including PFAS contamination and rising salinity.
“Dams like Mundaring, Serpentine and South Dandalup are critical public infrastructure that provide a third of our drinking water and store huge quantities of desalinated water for distribution all over the south west. Those catchments need to be protected forever.
Walter McGuire OAM, BNAA Chairperson and Noongar Elder said, “as Noongar people, it is our role and responsibility to care for the waterways and forests as the First People of this land.”
“Since colonisation, we’ve been denied this role, but now we are bringing back the traditional ways of caring for Country for the benefit of all who live on Noongar Boodja.
“It is shocking to realise that companies like Alcoa and others have held open mining rights to our forests and access to our water sources for many years.
“For decades, successive WA governments have allowed them to exploit these rights, destroying our land and bypassing our community’s rights to safe drinking water and clean air. Water is life and without it, we are nothing. We call on the WA State Government to ban mining in our drinking water catchments – no expansion and immediate retreat from mined areas.”
ENDS
About End Forest Mining
End Forest Mining is an alliance of groups, all working together for a shared purpose: to end bauxite mining in WA’s Northern Jarrah Forest. Our vision is for the state’s magnificent remaining jarrah forests to be safe from mining and protected forever. For more information see endforestmining.org.au.
Imagery available here.
Media contact: John Cooke – 0433 679 780