‘Threatened’: Leonardo DiCaprio criticises Albanese Government’s approval of WA mine expansion

The Oscar winner has called out our federal government for approving a mine expansion in an area occupied by critically endangered species.

Leonardo DiCaprio has called out Australia’s federal government for approving a West Australian mine expansion in an area occupied by critically endangered species.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek last month gave the green light for South32 to expand its Worsley Alumina bauxite mine near Boddington, in WA’s Peel region. Up to 3855 hectares of native vegetation in the Northern Jarrah Forests will be cleared as a result, sparking fury from multiple environmentalist groups.

On Wednesday night, Oscar-winning actor DiCaprio threw his support behind the activists, writing on Instagram: “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).”

“The mining company @south_32 is set to clear 9,600 acres of this old growth forest, which is home to threatened species like the Critically Endangered Woylie,” the 50-year-old, well-known for his environmental activism, continued.

“This operation will destroy critical habitat for over 8,000 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 prioritize mining development over environmental protection.

Leonardo DiCaprio has criticised Australia’s federal government for approving a West Australian mine expansion in an area occupied by critically endangered species. Picture: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek greenlit South32’s expansion of its Worsley Alumina mine. Picture: NewsWire/Martin Ollman

“This new approval is in addition to South32’s previous deforestation, bringing the total area of Jarrah Forests cleared to over 38,000 acres. @rewild and @wild.ark stand to protect these towering ecosystems that are already at risk of climate change.”

A South32 spokesperson told news.com.au that DiCaprio’s post “contains factual errors”, including that the mining company’s proposal did not include the 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 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,” the spokesperson said.

“Since our original proposal, we have significantly reduced the amount of native vegetation that will be cleared as part of the Project, to further avoid and minimise impacts to the environment. Within the areas that we have received approval to mine, protected areas and buffer zones will be implemented around known habitats of certain protected species and we will undertake (or have already undertaken) targeted flora and fauna surveys and monitoring as required by our approvals.

“In accordance with our approval conditions, we will progressively rehabilitate land we clear through our operations, helping to re-establish flora and fauna habitat. In addition, nearly 8,000 hectares of land will be set aside and restored to create additional habitat for species including the Black Cockatoo, as part of our total 12,300 hectare offsets package.

“The approved project will enable access to bauxite to sustain production at Worsley Alumina, allowing our significant contribution to the South West and Peel regions to continue. Worsley Alumina is one of the largest employers in the region and, in FY24 alone, spent A$217 million with local businesses.”

A view of the Jarrah Forests destroyed by Buaxite Mining near Perth, WA. Picture: Supplied

Co-founder of Locals for Environmental Action and Protection (LEAP) Mereana Lewis previously told the national broadcaster she felt betrayed by the federal government’s decision to approve the Worsley Alumina expansion.

“We are devastated, absolutely devastated,” she said.

“We did put our trust in Minister Plibersek. We had so much information which we gave to the ministry, and we feel that no-one has taken any notice of our concern.”

A WA government spokesperson defended the decision, saying it had followed the advice of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“It’s a fact that the Cook Labor government has done more to protect WA’s environment than any other government in our state’s history,” they said.

“This includes our nation-leading decision to end native logging, which has meant nearly two million hectares of native karri, jarrah and wandoo in WA will be protected forests for future generations.”

The forests are home to a number of endangered species, including the woylie. Picture: Supplied

It’s not the first time DiCaprio has weighed in on conservation standards Down Under.

Last year, the star shared findings of the National Greenhouse Accounts (NGA) majorly under-reporting deforestation in the Queensland, the bulk from the sunshine state’s beef industry, the report claimed.

At a dinner in Washington, DC, in 2014, he criticised then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s government’s failure to protect the Great Barrier Reef.

“What once had looked like an endless underwater utopia is now riddled with bleached coral reefs and massive dead zones,” he said.

While Tasmanian MP Felix Ellis said that DiCaprio “should stick to acting”, after he called out native logging practices in the state.

Originally published as ‘Threatened’: Leonardo DiCaprio criticises Albanese Government’s approval of WA mine expansion