Two new mining proposals from U.S. aluminium giant Alcoa are currently under review by Western Australia’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), both with the potential to significantly expand bauxite extraction across the state’s jarrah forests. If approved, Wood Central understands the new plans would open new areas of native forest to industrial activity, intensify operations in existing zones, and increase alumina refining capacity—cementing a multi-decade footprint in one of Australia’s most ecologically sensitive regions.
“Any proposal to mine would involve rigorous consultation, assessment and in fact approval before we could do so,” said Kane Moyle, Alcoa’s director of regulatory approvals. However, environmental groups argue that the scale of the expansion demands far greater scrutiny, warning that cumulative impacts could push the jarrah ecosystem past a tipping point.
Alcoa has mined bauxite in WA since the 1960s under special state agreements that grant access to approximately 7,000 square kilometres of forest—an area larger than metropolitan Perth. To date, around 280 square kilometres have been cleared. The new proposals would extend operations deeper into the Northern Jarrah Forest and continue extraction through at least 2045.
The jarrah forest, found only in WA’s southwest, is a globally unique ecosystem that has evolved in isolation over millions of years. It supports a range of endemic species and plays a critical role in carbon storage and water catchment health. However, conservationists warn that further clearing risks irreversible damage, especially as only a small fraction of the original forest remains untouched.
Alcoa’s mining process involves stripping native vegetation, removing topsoil, and extracting the bauxite-rich layer before initiating reclamation. The proposed expansion would affect multiple catchment areas and introduce mining into previously undisturbed zones. However, satellite imagery shows a steady increase in Alcoa’s footprint between 1984 and 2022, with the new proposals marking a significant escalation.
Concerns about Alcoa’s rehabilitation efforts persist.
A peer-reviewed study published in Restoration Ecology found the company’s forest restoration results were “substandard” and on a “poor to declining trajectory.” Despite Alcoa’s claim that 75% of cleared land has been rehabilitated, none of the 280 square kilometres has been officially signed off by the WA government as successfully restored.
The Shire of Waroona, which no longer hosts active Alcoa mining, has called for a financial bond to ensure rehabilitation is completed. “One of our submissions was very similar to what we do with an extractive industries license,” said Shire President Mike Walmsley, who spoke to ABC Perth today. “So if someone was to walk away from the sandpit or something in our shire, there’s still money available to make sure that sandpit or whatever is rehabilitated”.
Alcoa contests the criticism, stating its operations are located in areas previously disturbed by timber logging. “Where we are having a direct impact, our rehabilitation is all about returning the jarrah-marri forest,” Moyle said. “Yes, it takes decades—or even hundreds of years—to create full nesting habitat, but it is returning what was previously there”.
The EPA is currently accepting public submissions on Alcoa’s proposals. Once the consultation period ends, the authority will assess the plans and make a recommendation to the WA Minister for State and Industry Development, who will decide whether the projects proceed.
- To learn more about bauxite mining in jarrah forests, click here for Wood Central’s special feature from May 2023.
