WA’s environment regulator cuts efforts to protect nature around state to deal with Alcoa

The burden of enforcing special arrangements to allow Alcoa to keep mining bauxite has forced WA’s environment regulator to severely cut its efforts to protect nature throughout the rest of the state.

The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation planned to audit 40 of the 485 projects subject to requirements from the environment minister in the 12 months to June 2024, but cut this to 10 projects: just two per cent of the total.

Bauxite extraction at the Huntly mine, the largest of Alcoa’s two mines in Western Australia.Credit: Alcoa

The regulator also planned to check 40 premises that could cause pollution covered by 2835 licences, approvals and registrations but lowered the target to just 24, according to its compliance plan released last week. There was also a “significant reduction” in checking the clearing of native vegetation. The cuts are due to “the diversion of resources to assurance activities associated with the Alcoa exemption order,” the plan said.

The government implemented the Alcoa exemption order in December 2023 to allow Alcoa to keep mining while the Environmental Protection Authority assessed its activities. The order was accompanied by increased surveillance of Alcoa’s mining.

A Department of Water and Environmental Regulation spokesman said it was focused on recruiting to support its greater workload and expected to deploy increased compliance and enforcement efforts in the coming year.

“DWER’s initial assurance program to date has delivered stronger oversight of Alcoa’s mine site operations,” he said.

“The assurance program has closely monitored Alcoa’s compliance with its exemption order, and to date, no non-compliance issues have been identified.”

Conservation Council of WA director Jess Beckerling said the department was already struggling to adequately enforce the law, and the cutbacks were outrageous.

“They can’t get on with their job because they’re too busy monitoring a project they opposed at the outset,” she said.

In May, this masthead revealed that the department opposed Alcoa’s mining management program “in its entirety” because it lacked “clarity and coherence.”

It warned the scale of Alcoa’s forest clearing likely presented “a high level of risk to public drinking water sources and native flora and fauna” and the miner’s plans did nothing to address this “beyond generic statements.”

Beckerling said the WA Government prioritised fast-tracking project approvals.

“In the midst of a worsening climate and biodiversity crisis, we must strengthen WA’s laws to defend nature and the places we love,” she said.

A spokesman for environment minister Reece Whitby said $10.5 million had been allocated to ensure Alcoa’s mining was adequately monitored.

“The Cook Labor Government has consistently said protecting WA’s drinking water is of paramount importance,” he said.

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