As part of our commitment to keep adding value and to meet contemporary expectations, we are seeking to modernise the environmental approvals for our Huntly Bauxite Mine and Pinjarra Alumina Refinery.

This environmental approval project has three components which will require State and / or Commonwealth assessment and approval. These components are:

• Mine: transition the Huntly Mine to the proposed Myara North and Holyoake mine regions within ML1SA (inclusive of bauxite for the Pinjarra Alumina Refinery and the Kwinana Alumina Refinery);
• Refinery: increase production at the Pinjarra Alumina Refinery by 5 per cent from 5.0 million tonnes per annum 5.25 million tonnes per annum including development of water storage ponds and associated borrow pits; and
• Export: increase the rate of mining at the Huntly Mine to supply up to 2.5 Mtpa of bauxite for export.

Since lodging our project proposal in June 2020, we have undertaken extensive studies into relevant environmental, social and engineering factors.

To date we have proactively engaged with more than 1,700 interested stakeholders across 130 different groups, and this extensive consultation program continues.

As part of streamlining and modernising the project's environmental approval framework, potential project impacts identified through our studies and stakeholder engagement have been addressed through project variations.

Variations are common and allow us to be responsive to the opportunities and issues we are identifying as we develop the Environmental Review Document.

Kwinana Alumina Refinery

Historically, mining to support the Kwinana Alumina Refinery has been authorised under Alcoa’s State Agreement and associated clearing has been authorised through a separate statutory process.

Our most recent approved variation under Section 43A of the EP Act is the inclusion into the Revised Proposal of 2,652 hectares of clearing within the Huntly Mine Development Envelope to supply bauxite to the Kwinana Alumina Refinery.

This will increase the total clearing for the EPA’s assessment and approval from 6,621 hectares to 9,273 hectares and support operations at Pinjarra and Kwinana alumina refineries for approximately 10 years.

More information about the Project and its evolution can be found in our Fact Sheet.

Environmental Assessment Factsheet