Most of the worlds only Karri forest is located in the Shire of Manjimup. Information found under the Freedom of Information Act 1992 of discussions by the Shire of Manjimup suggests a plan to mine 5.5 million tonnes of bauxite a year, commencing in the next two years. Bauxite mining will change the gravelly soil that the mixed Karri, Jarrah and Marri (KJM) forest has evolved on and would be devastating to the Karri which will be under stress with diminished rainfall from global warming within the 1100mm rainfall isohyets in which it is found.

Bauxite Mining Destroys Native Forest: Some may ask, why all of this concern about a new bauxite miner when the Northern Jarrah forest should also be protected from bauxite mining? Yes it should be protected, it is the only forest between Perth and the desert.  See comment on bauxite mining of the Northern Jarrah forest by the former General Manager of the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM), who says "No experienced forester would guarantee the long term viability of dense forest stands growing on a film of topsoil over highly impermeable clay and granite." and "The oldest mine site rehabilitation is now about 40. Some of these stands have started to look very sick as the present period of below-average rainfall persists. Ecologically, the revegetation is very different from the original forest, and some obvious niches have been eliminated. For example no “habitat” trees are retained to provide for hollow-nesting bird species, as is the case in areas from which timber is cut. Some “old growth” elements, such as grass trees, will take centuries to re-establish, or may never regrow on the new substrate.".

Public interest in the environment has increased since the 1970's when bauxite mining in the Northern Jarrah forest underwent massive expansion, and there is now even a greater case for protecting the remaining State forest from mining. We must not lose the Karri forest and Southern Jarrah forest to strip mining for bauxite.

Bad for Tourism: The Karri forest is an icon for tourism in Western Australia, always featured in government tourism advertising campaigns. Bauxite mining would destroy tourism based on the Karri forest. In addition to 'moonscape' strip mining, an estimated 500 bauxite hauling truck movements a day carting bauxite from Pemberton to Bunbury would choke the South West Highway and Vasse Highway, the main tourist routes to the Karri forest around Pemberton and popular Tree-Top Walk at Walpole. The trucks based in Bunbury hauling 5.5 million tonnes of bauxite would haul through the main streets of Bridgetown and Donnybrook en-route to Bunbury. Even if the promised re-opening of the Greenbushes to Bunbury rail line occurred, road travel through Bridgetown to Manjimup and Pemberton would be dangerous. There would be few return visitors to Karri country. While that may suit the miners and truckers, tourism and accommodation operators must act to protect their commercial interests.

Bad for 'Tree Change' New Settlers and Real Estate: People from Perth and elsewhere are not going to move to an area subject to a 'bauxite mining rush'. Rather than move to the otherwise attractive Pemberton, Bridgetown, and Manjimup, they will settle in Margaret River or Denmark where there are no plans for bauxite mines.

TAKE ACTION: The State Government must act to protect the Karri and Southern Jarrah forest from bauxite mining. Please send a letter now to the Minister for the Environment requesting she protect the Karri forest and Southern Jarrah forest from bauxite mining and uphold the assessment by the EPA of the mining by Bauxite Resources in the Shire of Chittering.

Bauxite mining of farmland on large scale devalues adjacent farms forcing families to sell out while they can, and then spreads like a cancer. Bauxite Resources has already 'trial' mined farms in the Shire of Chittering and caused disruption to the communities, see Residents for Responsible Mining. The Shire of Chittering is opposing further mining of 1.2 million tonnes of bauxite because it is not consistent with the objectives of "Agricultural Resource" zone land (see minutes of decision by Shire of Chittering). Chittering is the best orange growing area in Western Australia.

Protection of Priority Agriculture Land: Priority Agriculture land is required to have a higher level of protection of agricultural production capability than land designated 'General Agriculture'. In addition to directly protecting Priority Agriculture land for continued agricultural use, Town Planning Schemes are required to protect Priority Agriculture land from adjoining uses of land that may conflict with or restrict agriculture. Unfortunately, there is no evidence that shires in the South-West are protecting Priority Agriculture land from bauxite mining.

The Priority Agriculture land surrounding Manjimup and Pemberton is regarded as the 'food bowl of the South-West', with over $100 million in annual value of production, twice the production of the Ord River district which is receiving $415 million in subsidies from the State and Commonwealth Governments. A bauxite mine is a 'neighbour from hell' for farming families with dust and noise pollution, and dominance of local roads. Most of the orchards, potato farms and vineyards on Priority Agriculture land are based on original 160 acre (64 hectare) or less titles, much too small an area to support a bauxite mine without being a 'neighbour from hell' for families on nearby farms. Bauxite mining would be a nightmare amongst vineyards and restaurants for wine and food related tourism, and farm chalets.

Impact on Water for Agriculture: Bauxite mines would disrupt the hydrology of sub-catchments vital for capture of water in farm dams for irrigation in the Manjimup and Pemberton area. Strip mining also requires a lot of water for dust control, which may not be available in the Warren and Donnelly River sub-catchments the Department of Water now says are fully allocated. Mining for 5.5 million tonnes of bauxite could cause the water allocations to family farms to be reduced to provide for the big mining company.

Bad for Local Rural Communities and Towns: The Shire of Manjimup is not objecting to the intentions of Bauxite Resources, on the contrary, they are forming an alliance with them, along with other shires in the Warren Blackwood Strategic Alliance. There is nothing to gain for these rural communities from bauxite mining, but a lot to lose. The bauxite miners and refinery workers at Wagerup, don't live in Waroona and the polluted Yarloop, they live on the coast in Mandurah and Dawesville. The same will apply with plans for bauxite mining in Pemberton, Manjimup, Bridgetown and Nannup; the drivers of dozers, graders and trucks will be based and live in Bunbury. They won't want to live amongst the mines and subject their families to the hundreds of trucks carting bauxite on the South West Highway and Vasse Highway!

TAKE ACTION: The Minister for Agriculture and Food, Terry Redman MLA, who is also the Member for Blackwood-Stirling, must take Cabinet level action to protect Priority Agriculture land from Bauxite Resources. Please send a letter now to the Minister for Agriculture and Food requesting he protect Priority Agriculture land from bauxite mining.