The Northern Jarrah Forest is facing potential exploration by mining giant Rio Tinto.
Camera IconThe Northern Jarrah Forest is facing potential exploration by mining giant Rio Tinto. Credit: Facebook

Community objects to Rio Tinto application for exploration permits in Northern Jarrah Forest

Tyra PetersMandurah Coastal Times

The WA Forest Alliance is urging people to object to a proposal for 10 exploration permits that would give mining giant Rio Tinto access to one of the State’s last surviving forests.

Rio Tinto has applied for 10 exploration permits for the Northern Jarrah Forest in hopes of finding battery minerals.

The areas reportedly fall within existing exploration sites and would not obstruct any conservation zones.

But the WA Forest Alliance doesn’t want the miner to enter the forest at all and has encouraged people to submit objections against the proposal in an attempt to stop potential mining of one of WA’s last surviving forests.

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WAFA campaign director Jess Beckerling said mining could have a “catastrophic” impact on the environment.

“These are incredibly precious and vulnerable forests that are home to endangered wildlife and are critical in drawing carbon out of the atmosphere and they have been subjected to extensive clearing and logging over the past 100 years or so,” Ms Beckerling said.

A recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found the Jarrah Forest was one of a handful in the Australian ecosystem that was likely to collapse as a result of climate change.

“Effective ecosystem conservation on approximately 30 per cent to 50 per cent of Earth’s land . . . including all remaining areas with a high degree of naturalness and ecosystem integrity will help protect biodiversity, build ecosystem resilience and ensure essential ecosystem services,” the report said.

Ms Beckerling said there had been “a massive response” to the application so far.

The community wants to see Rio Tinto’s applications knocked back. They are totally incompatible with the values of the Northern Jarrah Forests.

“We understand that Rio Tinto is looking for battery minerals. Of course we need to be acting on climate and battery storage for renewable energy is a part of that, (but) we cannot fix the climate crisis by destroying forests and the last of our other precious wild places,” she said.

Shire of Murray president David Bolt said the shire did not support the application and a notice of objection had been lodged with the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.

“Our Jarrah Forest is the only one of its kind in the world and includes areas of outstanding environmental, cultural and landscape significance,” he said.

“The proposals may be inconsistent with a range of national, State and local government policies and strategies, but what is also clear is they are at odds with community expectations.”

Jan Star, former chair of the Peel Catchment Council and a Jarrahdale Forest Volunteer for more than 12 years, said she had seen first-hand the destruction left behind by mine sites.

“They’ve increased the rate of mining enormously in the last 10 years, whereas when they started in the 60s under State agreement . . . they were only mining 10 hectares a year — now it’s something like 1000,” Ms Star said.

Ms Star said she was frustrated over the new exploration permits submitted by the mining giants and wanted to see political leaders intervene before it was too late.

Both the Minister for Mining and the Minister for the Environment have the power to stop mining in the forest.

“With climate change, what forest we’ve got left we must protect because it’s our best defence against greenhouse gases,” she said.

In a statement to the Sound Telegraph, a Rio Tinto spokesperson said the areas the miner had applied for were within Alcoa and Worsley exploration areas.

“The areas applied for fall entirely within areas over which Alcoa and Worsley hold existing rights to explore for and mine bauxite (used for alumina production) under the Alcoa State Agreement (9 ELAs) or the Worsley State Agreement (1 ELA),” the spokesperson said.

“The application areas do not contain or overlap reserves or conservation zones with IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) listings.”

A hearing will be held at the Mining Warden’s Court on April 29 to approve or reject the applications.