US mining company Alcoa is currently under investigation in Western Australia regarding an alleged breach of its state-imposed mining conditions. The company, which has been mining bauxite in Western Australia since the 1960s and employs approximately 4,000 people, seeks to expand its operations further into the jarrah forest south-east of Perth.
The expansion proposal is under review by the state's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). Typically, projects are halted during such assessments; however, the WA government granted Alcoa an exemption to continue mining to "safeguard local jobs."
A key condition of this exemption mandates that mining activities must not occur within 10 meters of mature significant trees, which serve as potential nesting habitats for endangered black cockatoos. The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) is now investigating an alleged breach of this condition as a priority.
The investigation centers on a single jarrah tree at Alcoa's Huntly Mine, located 100 kilometers south of Perth. Satellite imagery indicates that the surrounding forest was cleared, mined, or converted into a road between September 2019 and December 2023. By August 2025, the tree appeared to have no leaves, and a rock wall connected to its undisturbed island seemed to have been dismantled.
WA Greens MLC Jess Beckerling initiated the probe after being informed by a public informant in December. Ms. Beckerling, who entered Alcoa's mining lease to verify the claims, measured the distance from the tree's base to the northern edge of its island as approximately 9.1 meters, which is less than the required 10-meter radius. She referred the matter to DWER, which confirmed the investigation.
Alcoa denies any wrongdoing, stating that it has applied a 10-meter buffer around the tree since its identification in pre-mining surveys in 2014. The company stated that mining activities conducted until March 2024 did not breach this buffer zone, and the tree was not identified as a black cockatoo nesting tree.
If the alleged breach is confirmed, Alcoa could lose its exemption, making it illegal for the company to continue mining operations while the EPA review is ongoing. Alcoa reiterated its commitment to balancing environmental and social considerations and to continuously improving its approaches to protection.