Concerned families and businesses are urged to write to the relevant State Government Ministers. Please read and download letters below, add your address, sign (or type in name) and post, or email or fax letters. The cost of apathy will be high. (Non-English speaking, please use Google Translate)

Hon Donna Faragher MLC
Minister for Environment
!0^th Floor, Dumas House
Havelock Street, West Perth 6005

Dear Minister

BAUXITE MINING OF KARRI FOREST AND SOUTHERN JARRAH FOREST

I write to request you protect the Karri forest and Southern Jarrah forest from bauxite mining.

Bauxite Resources Limited has plans to mine bauxite, refine alumina and smelt aluminum based on bauxite related tenements it is seeking from Chittering in the north through to Pemberton in the south, over a massive 23,000 square kilometers of State forest, national parks and farmland. Bauxite Resources has begun mining bauxite on farmland in the Shire of Chittering causing justifiable concern to the rural community. The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has requested Bauxite Resources’ plan to mine a further 1.2 million tonnes of bauxite at Chittering be subject to a Public Environmental Review. However, Bauxite Resources have appealed to you against this scrutiny by the EPA of the start of what are their big plans for bauxite mining.

Bauxite Resources have applied for tenements over most of the State forest and farmland in the Shires of Manjimup, Bridgetown-Greenbushes, Nannup and Donnybrook-Balingup. The State forest subject to applications includes Karri forest and the Southern Jarrah forest. Information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act indicates plans to mine 5.5 million tonnes of bauxite a year in these shires, starting within two years.

Most reasonable people are outraged at the prospect of the Karri forest being mined for bauxite. The Karri forest is one of the icons for tourism in Western Australia, always featured in Government tourism advertising campaigns. Bauxite mining will 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 will 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. There would be few return visitors.

The 7,840 square kilometers Northern Jarrah forest of the Darling Range is already the largest bauxite mine in the world. Enough is enough! There must be balance in land use in the South West, no more of our State forest should be subject to strip mining for bauxite with loss of biodiversity and amenity for the public.

Minister, I respectfully request you oppose expansion of bauxite mining in State forest and discuss this threat to the Karri forest and Southern Jarrah forest with other relevant Ministers. Further, I support the EPA requirement for a Public Environmental Review of proposed further bauxite mining at Chittering and request that any similar plans for mining of Karri forest and other State forest be subject to the highest level of environmental impact assessment.

Minister, please reply and advise me that you will oppose bauxite mining of the Karri forest and further expansion of bauxite mining in State forest.

Yours sincerely

Hon Terry Redman MLA
Minister for Agriculture and Food
11^th Floor, Dumas House
2 Havelock Street, West Perth WA 6005

 Dear Minister

 BAUXITE MINING OF PRIORITY AGRICULTURE LAND

 I write to request you protect land designated ‘Priority Agriculture’ from bauxite mining.

Bauxite Resources Limited has plans to mine bauxite, refine alumina and smelt aluminum based on bauxite related tenements it is seeking from Chittering in the north through to Pemberton in the south, over a massive 23,000 square kilometers of farmland and State forest. Bauxite Resources has begun mining bauxite on farmland in the Shire of Chittering causing justifiable concern amongst the rural community. The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has requested that Bauxite Resources’ plan to mine a further 1.2 million tonnes of bauxite at Chittering be subject to a Public Environmental Review. However, Bauxite Resources has appealed to the Minister for Environment against this scrutiny by the EPA of the start of what are their big plans for bauxite mining on many farms, from Chittering through to Pemberton.

Bauxite Resources have applied for tenements over most of the farmland and State forest in the Shires of Manjimup, Bridgetown-Greenbushes, Nannup and Donnybrook-Balingup. Most of the farmland is designated 'Priority Agriculture' under Town Planning Schemes in accordance with State Government Planning Policy. Information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act indicates plans to mine 5.5 million tonnes of bauxite a year in these shires, starting within two years.

As you are aware, 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 Resources.

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. A bauxite mine is a 'neighbour from hell', especially amongst vineyards and restaurants for wine and food related tourism. Bauxite mines would disrupt the hydrology of sub-catchments vital for capture of water in farm dams for irrigation use. 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.

Minister, I respectfully request you oppose bauxite mining of farmland designated Priority Agriculture and discuss this threat to agriculture with other relevant Ministers. Further, I request you write to the many shires where land is subject to tenement applications by Bauxite Resources advising them of the importance of protecting land designated Priority Agriculture.

Minister, please reply and advise me that you will oppose bauxite mining of Priority Agriculture land.

Yours sincerely