<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/feb/21/australia-us-minerals-underpinned-decision-to-allow-alcoa-to-keep-clearing-wa-forest-document-reveals>
"The Australian government’s decision to allow the US mining giant Alcoa to
continue clearing swathes of Western Australian jarrah forest despite past
illegal clearing practices was made in part due to a critical minerals deal
reached between Australia and the Trump administration last year, a new
document shows.
The document also reveals Alcoa was unlawfully clearing land for its bauxite
mining practices in the area south of Perth for 15 years, despite warnings from
the federal environment department.
Conservationists have expressed outrage that an “unprecedented” $55m penalty
announced by the environment minister was only applied to a six-year period in
which the illegal clearing was alleged to have occurred.
Murray Watt said on Wednesday that the penalty – known as an enforceable
undertaking – was for clearing that occurred from 2019-2025 in known habitat
for nationally protected species without an approval under the
Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
When announcing the penalty, Watt said he had granted Alcoa a national interest
exemption to allow it to continue clearing in the northern jarrah forest for 18
months while the government considered a proposal for an expansion of the
company’s Huntly and Willowdale mining operations to 2045.
But a new document reveals the environment department had been telling Alcoa
since 2011 that its mining operations in the forest required approval under
Australia’s environmental laws.
A department spokesperson said any clearing before 2019 fell outside the
statute of limitations, meaning investigation of or enforcement action “against
any earlier unapproved clearing was not possible”.
The document – a statement outlining Watt’s reasons for granting the exemption
– shows the minister believed it was justified because of Alcoa’s links to a
critical minerals deal reached between Australia and the Trump administration
last year that included selling gallium to the US for use in the defence and
renewable energy sectors.
Watt also noted the Japanese government and Japanese company Sojitz Corporation
were joint venture partners with Alcoa to develop a gallium plant at Alcoa’s
refinery at Wagerup and both the Australian and US governments had committed
funding and equity to the project."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
