Plans to drill for bauxite in the Perth Hills have been shelved by Alcoa following local community backlash.
Plans to drill for bauxite in the Perth Hills have been shelved by Alcoa Australia following local community backlash.
Alcoa had intended to conduct exploratory drilling in the Armadale, Kalamunda, Mundaring, Beverley, and York local government areas.
The drilling program was proposed under an update to Alcoa’s five-year mine management plans for its bauxite mining operations in the Darling Ranges.
Two MMPs – one for 2023 to 2027 and one for 2025 to 2029 – are up for approval through the Western Australian government.
Armadale, Kalamunda and Mundaring's councils have opposed the plans in their jurisdictions, with the latter calling on Alcoa to excise the Mundaring Weir catchment from its exploration program.
Alcoa of Australia regulatory approvals director Kane Moyle said the decision was a response to submissions made to the Environmental Protection Authority about those plans.
“Community and stakeholder consultation is an important part of Alcoa’s planning for the future,” he said.
“While exploration drilling is a low-impact activity and does not indicate an intention to mine an area but rather to broaden geological knowledge of the region, we understand the strong environmental and social values of the Perth Hills to local communities and the broader public.
“We listened to feedback and are making changes that will be reflected in both [mine management plans].”
Alcoa still intends to submit its 2025 to 2029 MMP to WA Premier Roger Cook, who as state development minister is responsible for its endorsement.
The Perth Hills operations have been at the centre of political controversy since leaked Water Corporation and Department of Water and Environmental Regulation advice revealed concern from both agencies about the risk of contamination to Perth’s drinking water from Alcoa’s activities.
Alcoa has argued it has a never adversely affected drinking water sources in Western Australia.
Alcoa Australia president Elsabe Muller in September told Business News Alcoa was investing heavily in drainage management to prevent impacts to the Serpentine Dam, 40km south of Mundaring.
“We’ve never impacted it, and we intend not to ever impact the drinking water supply for Perth,” she said.
Ms Muller said the onus was on industry to adapt to meet changing societal expectations about the environment.
WA Premier Roger Cook said the state government was working with Alcoa on its mining management plan.
"...to ensure that we can really bring them into a contemporary environmental regime so that they can continue to benefit from the mining of bauxite, we can continue to benefit from the many thousands of jobs that they create, and we can protect the environment at the same time," he said.
