ALCOA announced their removal of the Perth Hills from their proposed exploration plans on Monday, following months of opposition from the hills communities.

Bibbul Ngarma Aboriginal Association (BNAA) chairperson and Noongar Elder Walter McGuire said working together was key to making sure the community was heard.

“It is our role and responsibility to care for the waterways and forests as the First People of this land,” he said.

“Since colonisation, we’ve been denied this role, but now we are bringing back the traditional ways of caring for Country for the benefit of all who live on Noongar Boodja.

“It is shocking to realise that companies like Alcoa and others have held open mining rights to our forests and access to our water sources for many years.

“For decades, successive WA governments have allowed them to exploit these rights, destroying our land and bypassing our community’s rights to safe drinking water and clean air.

“Working together is the only way to get the best outcomes for Country.

“We are bringing people together to understand that we’re just one human race, with many cultures and many differences, but we need to come together as one to look after our planet Earth.”

BNAA senior Elder May McGuire said strip-mining land and pollution of water remained key concerns and pressure needed to come from the top down.

“We don’t want our forests to go, especially our big trees up there in the hills,” she said.

“They are beautiful the old jarrah, they are our family, it is a healing tree.

“The government has to put the best foot forward and start doing the right thing by the country and for all the people.”

Alcoa director of regulatory approvals Kane Moyle said the decision reflected stakeholder and local community input during the EPA’s recent public comment period on the environmental assessments.

“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 MMPs.”

The alarm was first sounded in the hills when the BNAA shared excerpts from Alcoa’s hundreds of pages long submissions to the Environmental Protection Authority.

These documents formed part of Alcoa’s submissions seeking approvals for ongoing plans to mine for bauxite and expand the envelope for their exploration operations.

Parts of Mundaring and Kalamunda were included in the area outlined in Alcoa’s proposed expansion area, which covered drinking water catchments such as the Helena River feeding the Mundaring Weir as reported in Alcoa’s Perth Hills expansion zone.

A BNAA spokesperson said the community was grateful for Echo News’ coverage of the issue and the local media played a critical part in raising awareness of the situation.

“(Echo News) media coverage has been a pivotal part of this campaign, and we really appreciate the commitment to our local community,” they said.

“This is a victory for the people of Perth and for the Mandoon Bilya (Helena River) drinking water catchment that supplies Mundaring Weir.

“But make no mistake – the fight is far from over.”

BNAA executive director Francesca Flynn said Alcoa’s exit from the hills was a defining moment.

“Everyday people, local governments, and community organisations have already shown the power of standing united,” she said.

“Alcoa plans to consume around 17 billion litres of water every year.

“More than one-third of the Kwinana desalination plant’s maximum output (50 billion litres annually), at a time when the community are being urged to conserve water.

“Speak with your local government councillors, your state and federal MPs, and with each other.

“Now we must amplify our voices.”