THE City of Kalamunda and Shire of Mundaring both passed motions this month opposing any proposed expansion of Alcoa’s mining operations following multiple community deputations at each.

Both held on August 12, the council meetings in Kalamunda and Mundaring saw motions that were unanimously approved by their respective councils.

At the Mundaring meeting, deputees raised concerns about impacts to the environment and drinking water.

Environmental charity Bibbul Ngarma Aboriginal Association executive director and environmental scientist Francesca Flynn presented at both meetings and said Alcoa’s plan was exploratory drilling which carried risks.

“Exploratory drilling carries many of the same risks associated with mining, rising salinity, water flow disruption, erosion, dust, sedimentation, pollution, habitat destruction, wildlife disturbance and disease,” she said.

“While drilling may not always lead to mining, mining always follows drilling.

“Our forest is the only jarrah forest in the world.

“It is already under enormous pressure from drying climate, low rainfall, disease, shot hole borer, increased bushfire risk, to name just a few.

“We believe there should be no further expansion until we properly understand all of the risks involved.”

Following the resolution, the Shire of Mundaring will prepare a submission to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) as part of the public environmental review process.

The shire told Echo News Shire of Mundaring President Paige McNeil wrote directly to Alcoa stating council’s strong opposition to exploration drilling and potential bauxite mining operations within the shire.

The letter requested the voluntary excision of the Mundaring Weir catchment area from Alcoa’s mining and management program 2023-27 and mineral lease 1SA.

Mundaring confirmed they will meet with neighbouring governments, including Kalamunda, to form a regional response calling for the protection of the Northern jarrah forest and the environmental biodiversity of the Perth Hills.

City of Kalamunda Mayor Margaret Thomas said the deputations to council on the night demonstrated the strength of feelings residents had on the issue.

“The city will be preparing a formal submission to the government of Western Australia reflecting council’s position,” she said.

“As part of this process, the city has committed to engage with neighbouring local governments including the Shire of Mundaring, City of Gosnells, City of Armadale and the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale to explore opportunities for joint  advocacy.

“We have also written to relevant ministers and stakeholders to outline our position.

“While it is still early in the process, we look forward to constructive dialogue with state representatives and our neighbouring local governments as we move ahead.”

Resident Janelle Sewell presented during the Kalamunda meeting and said she had been on the Alcoa tour.

“I did the Alcoa tour,” she said.

“Now the trees that are being replanted, the rehabilitation is not native trees.

“These are trees that are introduced and does nothing in terms of biodiversity.”

According to a 2022 article by the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA Alcoa has won state government Golden Gecko Awards for their environmental excellence and was the first mining company to be on the UN’s Environmental Program Global 500 Honour Roll.

In that same article Alcoa Australia senior research scientist Matthew Daws said, in a video interview, that in 1988 the company changed from planting pines and Eastern states eucalypts to the native WA species.

“Particularly jarrah and marri, the two key tree species, and aiming to return a functioning, self-sustaining jarrah forest ecosystem,” he said.

“The rehabilitation we’re standing in at Willowdale here is around 10 years of age.

“You can see we’re surrounded by young developing jarrah trees – there’s also a diverse shrub and in the understory layer we’re really aiming to return as many species here as we find in the surrounding unmined forest.

“Many of our workforce live locally – they live and work in and around the jarrah forest.

“They’re incredibly passionate about actually returning the jarrah forest in as good a state as they possibly can.

“And they’re really proud that they can look at some of our rehabilitation and say that they’ve been involved in putting it back.”

Kalamunda MLA Adam Hort said he had been working closely with both Perth Hills local governments and have heard from residents who thought it unfair for a company to possibly have access to areas restricted to residents.

“Locals keep asking how it can be that they’re told they cannot camp, ride a bike, walk the dog or fish in these forests yet it’s even a question that exploratory drilling and potentially mining could take place in those very same areas,” he said.

“We need to see what the EPA says about the proposal before the next moves are considered.”

An Alcoa spokesperson said they met with both the City of Kalamunda and Shire of Mundaring and will consider their feedback regarding their exploration plans as part of the next stage of the EPA assessment process.

“As we stated in our previous response to (Echo News questions), low impact exploration work is designed to define the extent of ore bodies throughout our lease area to assist in understanding the geology,” they said.

“Exploration activity does not indicate an intention to mine an area.

“Alcoa’s plans for new mining that are being assessed by the EPA do not fall within the Kalamunda or Mundaring local government areas.”