WA Forest Alliance

Alcoa wants to clear thousands more hectares of precious Jarrah forests and continue to put Perth's drinking water at risk. But now there's finally a chance for you to have your say. A twelve-week comment period is now open on the US miner's expansion plans and current mining. Add your name to our submission now with our simple form https://lnkd.in/g6TXumWh You can also make your own submission. We will be providing a submission guide in the coming weeks once we have digested the hundreds of pages of documents. Sign up to make sure you receive a copy when ready.

Are you a digital campaigner? We're looking to grow our small, dedicated team. Applications due 9am AWST Monday 26 May. https://lnkd.in/gmmRyipP

Professor Ross Taplin (Curtin University) is presenting three public seminars on surveys of West Australians’ Attitudes to Bauxite Mining in the Jarrah Forest of the Darling Range. Each seminar explores a different aspect of the findings, discussing public attitudes to bauxite mining’s impact on tourism and recreation, considering West Australians' knowledge of biodiversity and attitudes to protecting the forests, and lastly looking at how government transparency around bauxite mining can influence public trust in government. Register to attend one, two, or all three. When: 4.30/5.00pm-6.30pm, February 17, 19, and 20 Where: Norman Dufty Lecture Theatre, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102 More info and registration: https://lnkd.in/e2WKSTZP

Magnificent Jarrah forests found nowhere else on Earth, or wastelands stripped bare for bauxite? Tanya Plibersek is making a choice by February 5, and it's clear what it must be, to protect WA's forests, cultural heritage, wildlife, and communities. Rejecting South32's forest-destroying, emissions-polluting bauxite mine expansion is the only responsible decision, and everyone's voice is needed now to make the call. Join in ensuring Minister Plibersek hears that Australians want the Northern Jarrah Forests protected from South32, before the chance closes: bit.ly/reject-S32 Our friends at the Conservation Council of WA have made it easy to follow up with a phone call to the Minister's office and leave a message for her to speak up for the forests here: https://lnkd.in/eA8YvFc7

Nearly 400 people joined us on the banks of the Kwakoorillup Beela/Frankland River in Nornalup on Saturday to rally to protect the nearby Tingle forest from prescribed burning. The beautiful old growth and long-unburnt forest on the opposite bank is low in fuel load and high in biodiversity. Nornalup must not suffer the same fate as a recently burnt nearby block which is now a wasteland of hundreds of giant Tingle trees collapsed on the scorched earth. The rally also called for changes to prescribed burning in the Southwest more broadly. Instead of hot, intense fires lit by aircraft, we want to see strategic, cool and slow burns only where they are truly needed and during the right seasons. More resources should be given to rapid detection and suppression so bushfires can be extinguished before they get out of control. Fire-sensitive ecosystems like the Tingles should be placed in exclusion areas so they are never burnt by prescribed fire. Email the Environment Minister today and tell him not to torch the Tingles bit.ly/send-Tingle-email Read more on the ABC: https://lnkd.in/dztSwtQT Thank you to Fire & Biodiversity WA, Denmark Environment Centre, South-West Forests Defence Foundation Inc., BirdLife Western Australia, Denmark Bird Group, Gondwana Link, South Coast Environment Group and Doctors for the Environment Australia for rallying with us.

Hikers and bikers come from all around WA, Australia and the world to traverse the Munda Biddi and Bibbulmun trails and experience the Southwest’s incredible natural environment. Unfortunately, the enjoyment and amenity of WA’s iconic trails are being ruined by the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions’ (DBCA) outdated and destructive prescribed burning program. Sections of the Munda Biddi Trail and Bibbulmun Track are frequently burnt out by DBCA, killing wildlife and leaving charred and blackened landscapes eerily silent and thick with the smell of smoke for trail users, like Wilma van Boxtel to traverse. Prescribed burning is threatening tourism and recreation industries by forcing users to take detours or cancel trips due to closed trails, huts and campgrounds. Plus the thought of moving through a scorched environment certainly reduces the appeal of setting out on a trail. The Southwest deserves an up-to-date and best-practice fire management program to protect trails and recreation as well as people and biodiversity. It's time the WA Government funded more early bushfire detection and rapid suppression technology and decreased destructive prescribed burning as called for in WAFA's petition to Parliament here: bit.ly/PB-Paper-Petition

It's time to rally to protect the Tingle forests. Nornalup’s magnificent old-growth Tingle forests are exceptionally biodiverse, and support threatened species such as Quokkas, Phascogales, Ringtail Possums, and Black Cockatoos. These ancient forests also support tourism and recreation, with the giant Tingles one of WA’s most famous drawcards. But the Tingles and their wildlife are under major threat this summer from unnecessary prescribed burning. Fire-intolerant Tingle forests cannot withstand damaging prescribed burns and many animals fail to escape. This ecosystem’s high moisture and low flammability means it has naturally low bushfire risk that would only be increased by prescribed burning. Join us at the Rally for the Tingles and hear about ways to make Southwest towns bushfire safe without destroying the forests. When: 10am, Saturday 18 January Where: Meet at the jetty in Settlers Park, Riverside Drive, Nornalup RSVP at: bit.ly/Tingles-Rally

Environment Minister Reece Whitby approved South32's mine expansion late on Friday enabling maximum environmental destruction in the Northern Jarrah Forests for minimum gain. South32 stripmines WA’s forests for lowgrade ore which is infinitely less valuable than the Northern Jarrah ecosystems and their many benefits threatened by the bauxite miner’s Worsley expansion plans. The ABC article linked in the comments has more. Under the plans, critical wildlife habitat ten times the size of Kings Park would be destroyed, further threatening many endangered species and increasing South32’s obliteration of Jarrah forests to a staggering 21,350 hectares total. Culturally significant sites would be irreparably damaged, and the water security of communities and farmlands would be put at increasing risk when South32 almost doubles groundwater extraction from local bores. West Australians would be robbed in more ways than one but South32 would give something back. Their polluting Worsley expansion would release nearly 58 million tonnes of scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions over 15 years, fueling the climate crisis instead of conserving forests that would help mitigate it. The plans have got the green light from Minister Whitby, but will next go before the federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek for her decision. It’s critical that she hears from the many Australians who want the Northern Jarrah Forests kept standing now. Send Minister Plibersek the message at https://lnkd.in/e9hF8vDp

Alcoa have withdrawn parts of their expansion within reservoirs, for now, due to community backlash against mining that is "considered certain" to contaminate Perth's drinking water. But to effectively protect public water and the survival of WA's Northern Jarrah Forests, Alcoa's existing operations in this sensitive ecosystem cannot continue. More at Peter Milne’s article for Boiling Cold here: https://lnkd.in/dksRjd6h Whilst Alcoa are ‘deferring’ the proposed mining in the Reservoir Protection Zone, the US mining company is simultaneously seeking approval to reenter a nearby area. If allowed, Alcoa's new plan to resume mining at O'Neil will tear apart 1,800ha of the NJ Forests, threatening internationally important wetlands, and countless endangered species. A critical chance to protect them is closing on 9 December. Use our brief guide to lodge your call for federal assessment of Alcoa's O'Neil plans as a 'controlled action' before the public comment period closes. See the guide here: bit.ly/ONeil-EPBC-Guide Then lodge your call for 'controlled action' on the public portal here: bit.ly/ONeil-EPBC

Alcoa is threatening to clear 1,800ha in the Northern Jarrah Forests between Dwellingup and Jarrahdale at O’Neil – part of their Huntly operations. This area supports Quokkas, Woylies, Numbats, Chuditch, Black Cockatoos and more endangered species that depend on their remaining habitat to survive. The public comment period on Alcoa's O'Neil mine plans is open until 9 December. To protect the vulnerable Northern Jarrah Forests it's important to call for federal assessment of the proposal as a ‘controlled action’. We've prepared a guide to assist people in completing this step: bit.ly/ONeil-EPBC-Guide Using the guide you can make your submission calling for 'controlled action', at the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act Public Portal here: bit.ly/ONeil-EPBC