Alcoa says it will more than double the area protected from its bauxite mining plans to the size of “about 860 Optus Stadiums” in response to community feedback.
The company’s expanded “mining avoidance zone” now spans 260,000 hectares surrounding Dwellingup.
Alcoa has significantly increased its no-mining zone around Dwellingup.
Sections of old-growth forest including part of Lane Poole Reserve, the Munda Biddi Trail, Bibbulmun Track and Nyingarn Bidi Loop, and a new zone around Inglehope will fall into the protected zones.
That announcement comes after the US miner removed areas in the Perth Hills from its proposed exploration drilling plans – again following significant pressure from the local community and environmental groups.
Alcoa Australia director of regulatory approvals Kane Moyle said the move showed Alcoa was listening and responding to community feedback.
“We know these areas are treasured by the local community and visitors alike,” Moyle said.
“We respect the community’s expectation that these forest areas and trails remain part of our natural heritage for generations to come.
“We are really pleased we can offer increased certainty around their protection as part of our broader commitment to balance critical resources needs with environmental and social values.”
Alcoa committed to a no mining zone around Dwellingup in 2023. Wednesday’s announcement is an expansion of that commitment.
Dwellingup is located within Alcoa’s large bauxite mining lease area, spanning 720,000 hectares, that it will hold until 2045.
However, Conservation Council WA executive director Matt Roberts said the announcement was a distraction from the company’s plans to expand its strip-mining operations in the Northern Jarrah Forest, and “grand statements like this from Alcoa need to be called out for what they are”.
The zoning area.
“This reeks of the exploratory drilling proposal in the Perth hills that it so magnanimously pulled out of – a project that was never going to happen, but provided Alcoa with an opportunity to say ‘we listened’ and position themselves as a good corporate citizen,” Roberts said.
“Despite the diversion tactics, the US-based mining giant is still pushing ahead with plans to bulldoze another 11,500 hectares of Northern Jarrah Forest, the equivalent of 27.5 Kings Parks.”
Roberts said he did not believe Aloca was listening to the community but instead trying to do the “bare minimum”.
“If Alcoa was really listening, they’d be developing a transition plan to make a responsible exit out of bauxite mining in WA’s precious Jarrah forests once and for all, as Rio Tinto did in 2023,” he said.
“This is a small concession on a large-scale problem, and clearly this tactic has been bought into play because Alcoa can see the writing is on the wall – the WA community has had enough.”
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
