Hollywood movie star Leonardo DiCaprio has spoken out against the Australian Government’s decision to allow the expansion of South32’s (ASX:S32) bauxite operations in Western Australia.
In mid-February, South32 announced it had received federal environmental approval for the Worsley Mine Development Project, which will allow the company to expand bauxite mining to sustain production at Worsley Alumina.
The key concern for environmental groups is the clearing of more than 4,000 hectares in Western Australia’s Jarrah Forest which they say will put the habitat of black cockatoos and other endangered animals at risk.
“The Australian government has approved deforestation within the Jarrah Forest of Western Australia, clearing the way for the mining of bauxite, the main ingredient in aluminum (sic),” DiCaprio, who describes himself as an environmentalist, wrote in an Instagram post.
“The mining company @south_32 is set to clear 9600 acres of this old growth forest, which is home to threatened species like the Critically Endangered Woylie.
“This operation will destroy critical habitat for over 8000 species, 80% of which are found nowhere else on Earth. While native forest logging was banned in Western Australia in 2024, clearance of native forests for mining is still allowed due to separate government policies that prioritise mining development over environmental protection.”
DiCaprio added that the new approval was in addition to South32’s previous deforestation, bringing the total area of Jarrah Forests cleared to over 38,000 acres.
However, South32 has rebutted the claims, saying they contain “factual errors”, according to a report by Nine News.
A spokesperson told the news service the company has significantly reduced the amount of native vegetation that would be cleared as part of the project.
“For example, our proposal does not include clearing of old growth forest, and the WA environment minister’s ministerial statement explicitly states that old growth forest is not to be disturbed by our proposal,” the spokesperson said.
“The Worsley mine development project will be undertaken in accordance with strict approval conditions that seek to avoid or minimise impacts to habitats of species, including the black cockatoo, to support their ongoing viability.”
South32 adds that it will rehabilitate any land cleared and allocate nearly 8,000 hectares of land to create additional habitat for species, including the Black Cockatoo, as part of a total 12,300 hectare offsets package.
South32 expects to start mining bauxite in the area in Q4 2025, with the expansion expected to sustain production at Worsley Alumina through to at least the 2036 financial year.
Worsley Alumina has been in operation for over four decades and is one of the largest employers in the southwest region of Western Australia.
Bauxite is mined near the town of Boddington, 130km south-east of Perth. It is transported by overland conveyor to the alumina refinery near Collie and turned into alumina powder, before being transported by rail to the Bunbury port.
It is then shipped to smelters around the world, including South32’s Hillside and Mozal aluminium smelters in Southern Africa.
Write to Angela East at Mining.com.au
Images: United Nations
