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Bushwalking & Mining
- ALCOA and BHPB (Worsley) control several bauxite mining
leases that cover most of the forested areas of the northern Darling
Range including the drinking water catchments. Newmont have a large
gold mine (Boddington).
- Mining operations are encroaching on bushwalking areas
near Perth.
- Access to bushwalking areas that are to be actively
mined will be increasingly restricted, and for many years to come
(e.g. Mt Solus, Bannister Hill).
- The quality of bushwalking in rehabilitated areas is
severely impacted.
- Mining of bauxite permanently removes interesting landforms,
such as laterite breakaways, from the landscape.
- Wandoo and jarrah forest rehabilitation is a long-term
experiment with no guarantee of long-term success, particularly in
a drying climate. ALCOA has put much effort into rehabilitating mined
areas of jarrah forest but ancient mature forests will take centuries
to be fully restored to their former glory.
- The Bibbulmun Track snakes its way between mining leases
but enjoyment of walking the Track may be reduced by increased noise
and visual pollution from the expanding mining operations.
- The Federation of Western Australian Bushwalkers believes
all bushwalkers need to be aware of these important facts.
Existing and Future Mining Leases in Bushwalking
Areas near Perth
See Also:
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