Ignore local community protests, says Gina Rinehart CEO while standing in front of landscape community protests protected. 

Kimberley residents protested outside the News Corp Australian Bush Summit event sponsored by mining billionaire Gina Rinehart. They called on Ms Rinehart to respect the region's nature and raised concerns about Ms. Rinehart's mining company, Hancock Prospecting, and its application for five mining exploration licenses on her Kimberley stations.  

Instead of listening to the local community, CEO of Hancock Iron Ore Gerhard Veldsman used his presentation to castigate ‘Net-Zero’ as an “absurd energy policy” and dismissed “noisy, minority activists” as people who should be ignored. 

Kimberley residents protest outside the Australian Bush Summit. Photo: Wendy Mitchell.

Environs Kimberley executive director Martin Pritchard, who attended the event, said:  

“The Australian Bush Summit in Broome was clearly being used by Ms Gina Rinehart to platform her anti ‘Net-zero’ campaign. A video made by the right-wing Advance lobby group was played and there was a significant attack on renewable energy.” 

“Ironically the backdrop to the speakers was a large photograph of James Price Point on the Kimberley coast where Woodside planned one of the biggest LNG refineries in the world which they abandoned in 2013 after 5 years of protests in a campaign driven by Broome locals,” Mr Pritchard said. 

James Price Point, proposed site of Woodside's LNG refineries - abandoned after years of protests, backdrop to the Australian Bush Summit. Photo: Environs Kimberley.  

“Ex-NT Chief Minister and Hancock Agriculture CEO Adam Giles was surprised when I told him that the only reason, they could use that beautiful photo was because of ‘noisy, minority activists’ who protested the gas refineries and forced Woodside to abandon the project there,” he said. 

“I asked Mr Giles if he accepted the science on climate change and he said he did, but that he didn’t believe in net-zero. When asked what he thought could solve the problem of too many emissions, he could only say, ‘I’ve got my thoughts about it’. He dismissed CSIRO and BoM modelling showing that the Kimberley would be unliveable if the current emissions trajectory was maintained, by saying ‘that’s a load of shit’ and walked off.” 

“Given that pastoral stations owned by Ms Rinehart in the Kimberley are likely to be significantly impacted by climate change, Mr Giles’ dismissal of temperature modelling appears to fly in the face of good business sense which would be to plan for foreseeable risks,” said Mr Pritchard.  

Broome residents at the protest made it really clear there would be fierce opposition to Gina Rinehart opening up the Kimberley to mining.  

The Kimberley is renowned for its awe-inspiring landscapes, untarnished by industrialisation and urban sprawl, as well as the ancient living culture that continues to be practised here.

These are the mainstay of the economy, providing more than half a billion dollars in revenue and a significant portion of the region’s jobs. Just as importantly, the intact condition of the Kimberley underpins residents’ wellbeing and supports the natural world, with healthy populations of rare as well as common animals and plants.

“The Kimberley is home to some truly unique and spectacular attractions...Tens of thousands of tourists flock to this area every year to enjoy an unforgettable outback experience amidst a breathtaking landscape,” Minister for the Kimberley and Regional Development, Stephen Dawson said.

While the description sounds idyllic, successive state governments have failed to act to protect the region’s crucially important attributes.

Less than 8% of the land in the Kimberley is in protected areas that prohibit landclearing, oil and gas extraction and mining.

If you’ve been following our work for a while, you’ll have seen that fracking for oil and gas is a huge concern, as well as the push by the Woodside Joint Venture to drill around Scott Reef. These are totally inappropriate industries for a globally significant region. Less well known are the other threats to the Kimberley’s environment – its freshwater, tropical savannah, intact coastline, marine parks, threatened species and national-heritage listed landscapes. We list some of the threats in the map below – excessive irrigation, bauxite mining, sand mining, heavy mineral sands mining, oil and gas extraction and fish farming are at our door.

A new concern is applications by Ms Gina Rinehart for mining exploration leases on her Liveringa Station and Fossil Downs pastoral lease and surrounding leases through her company ‘Central Pilbara North Iron Ore’. We don’t know what Ms Rinehart wants to explore for but we will vigorously oppose any damaging mining proposals.

Former Liberal Premier Colin Barnett said in 2009 that the future of the Kimberley was mining. “Just as the Pilbara was critically important to the development of WA from the'60s, over the next 50 years the Kimberley will play a similar role."

At the March 2025 election, the WA Labor Government under Roger Cook gave no new commitments to protecting the natural environment here. The proposals in front of them now will be a major test of their Kimberley credentials and show us whether they will follow Colin Barnett in his fixation on industrialising the Kimberley, or protect the Kimberley’s breathtaking landscape and environment.

Sign the petition to ask Premier Cook to ban fracking in the Kimberley here.

Gina Rinehart at Australian Bush Summit in Broome

Community call to protect the Kimberley from environmental destruction

Community members held a protest this morning outside the Australian Bush Summit event in Broome where Gina Rinehart was giving a video address.

Ms Rinehart has two pastoral properties in the Kimberley – Liveringa and Fossil Downs – both abut the National Heritage-listed Martuwarra Fitzroy River. Her past calls to take 325 billion litres/year of water out of the river have been met with stiff resistance from the community and Traditional Owners.

More than 43,000 people sent submissions to the WA government in 2021, calling for the protection of the river and groundwater from the type of development proposed by Ms Rinehart.

Concerns have been heightened recently with Ms Rinehart applying for five mining leases on her pastoral interests in the Kimberley.

Community protesting asking Gina Rinehard to not trash the Kimberley. Photo: Environs Kimberley.

Conservation group Environs Kimberley Executive Director Martin Pritchard said:

“The Kimberley is known the world over for its breathtaking landscapes, free-flowing rivers and intact tropical savannahs. The type of development that has been proposed by Ms Rinehart in the past is totally inappropriate and would see the bulldozing of tens of thousands of hectares.”

“The half-a-million visitors that come to the Kimberley every year don’t come to see farmland and mines; they come to see natural landscapes and experience the ancient culture.”

Mr Pritchard said there was also concerns about the critically endangered sawfish that have died on Liveringa station in recent years:

“Liveringa station appears to be a deathtrap for critically endangered sawfish, with 57 known to have died since 2018. We are calling for the artificial infrastructure on the waterway that appears to be trapping these endangered animals to be removed and the site rehabilitated.”

Regarding the applications for mining leases, Mr Pritchard said:

“We’re calling on Ms Rinehart to withdraw these mining leases; we don’t want to see the Kimberley turned into the next Pilbara. If Ms Rinehart doesn’t withdraw these leases then we call on the Cook government to reject them: they extend over waterways and are in the National Heritage-listed area of the West Kimberley – it’s no place for mining.”

The WA government’s new national parks around the Martuwarra Fitzroy River and Margaret River, which are jointly managed with Traditional Owners, are still awaiting final completion. The community is concerned that the finalisation of part two is being held back by Ms Rinehart on Fossil Downs.”

“We want to see the national parks along the Martuwarra Fitzroy River completed without delay, and if Ms Rinehart’s company is holding this back, then we call on the WA government to take back that part of the pastoral lease through compulsory acquisition,” Mr Pritchard said.

“Much of the land proposed for the next part of the national park is useless for cattle and not required as part of the pastoral lease. Ms Rinehart is renting this land from the citizens of Western Australia; she needs to take a responsible approach to the environment and make sure we have decent conservation parks along the Martuwarra Fitzroy River and Margaret River.”

Help protect the critically endangered freshwater sawfish here.

Following a recent announcement that a company called ‘Valperlon’ (VBX) has raised capital to progress its years-old bauxite mining proposal in the far north Kimberley, Environs Kimberley (EK) has called on the Cook government to rule out such destructive mining in the region.

EK Executive Director Martin Pritchard said, “The north Kimberley is one of the most intact tropical terrestrial, coastal and marine environments in the world. It is not just a State and national treasure, it is globally unique. 

“In 2021 EK made its submission to the EPA assessment of this proposal, recommending it be rejected. There are numerous compelling reasons why strip mining for bauxite in this region is entirely environmentally unacceptable, including threats to high conservation value monsoon rainforest patches and impacts from port development to the outstanding marine environment adjacent to the minesite - which is now a marine park.

Humpback dolphins in the north Kimberley. Photo: Martin Pritchard.

 “The Cook government must do what the Barnett government did ten years ago in relation to possible bauxite mining on the iconic Mitchell Plateau, south of this proposal.

 “Premier Barnett had the foresight to terminate the State Agreement that would have allowed strip mining for bauxite on the Mitchell Plateau. For exactly the same reasons, strip mining for bauxite further north near Kalumburu should also be permanently ruled out.

“The decision by the Barnett government to remove the longstanding threat of bauxite mining on the Mitchell Plateau via enactment of the Alumina Refinery (Mitchell Plateau) Agreement (Termination) Act 2015, clearly indicated the WA government’s strong view that bauxite mining is not an acceptable activity in the North Kimberley. 

“As Premier Barnett stated at the time, ‘The termination legislation will also prevent the making or granting of any mining or exploration tenement applications over the Mitchell Plateau area until the area has become a Class A National Park. The Government has also acted to protect adjacent areas from mining tenement applications through the creation of an exemption under section 19 of the Mining Act 1978.’”

“The thought of turning this beautiful region into another landscape ravaged by bauxite strip mining is mind-boggling. Bauxite companies have already laid waste to tens of thousands of hectares of jarrah forest in WA’s south west. Such a disaster must not be inflicted on the north Kimberley.”

The pristine Dunham River, located in the heart of Western Australia’s spectacular East Kimberley, is under threat from a proposed mining project by Tivan that could irreparably harm its unique ecosystem and cultural heritage. The Dunham River, flowing from the remote Durack Range to the Ord River, is one of the region’s most significant and untouched water systems, with extraordinary environmental and cultural values.

Kim Bridge, a Kimberley Traditional Owner and local businessman, is calling on the WA government to reject any plans that would destroy the river’s natural beauty and ecological integrity. The mining proposal, which targets critical minerals such as fluorite and vanadium, threatens the very heart of this pristine landscape, with the deposit located directly next to the waterway.

Dunham River Channel with Paperbark Forest. Photo: Jake Parker Imagery.

A hidden gem at risk

The Dunham River flows through some of the Kimberley’s most remote and awe-inspiring landscapes, from the rugged gorges near Halls Creek to the tranquil floodplains near Kununurra. The river, largely unknown to all but locals and a few seasoned adventurers, supports a thriving ecosystem and is a key part of the life-giving water that feeds Cambridge Gulf.

In the wet season, the region’s iconic Letterbox Gorge forms a dramatic bottleneck, with waters surging up the cliffs before spilling out onto the floodplain. These extraordinary natural features make the area a haven for biodiversity and a vital resource for local communities, including the Traditional Owners, who rely on the river for food, medicine, and recreation.

Letterbox Gorge. Photo: Jake Parker Imagery.

The ethical and environmental case against mining

While the push for minerals critical to the renewable energy transition is growing, many believe these valuable resources do not need to come at the cost of the Kimberley’s most pristine landscapes. The Dunham River’s catchment area is one such example, where mining activities could irreparably damage the land and water systems, and harm the very ecosystem that is vital to the region’s sustainability.

Kim Bridge strongly opposes the mining proposal, stating, “I’ve spent over 20 years walking this land, and I’ve seen firsthand how special this place is. The Dunham River and its surrounding landscapes are an integral part of our culture, and they must be protected for future generations. The proposed open-cut mine would be a disaster for the river and the community—it’s just too big a risk, and once the damage is done, it’s irreversible.”

Mr Bridge is also sending a strong message to potential investors that this venture cannot go ahead, it’s way too important an area, a pristine cultural and natural gem not to be damaged by mining. 

Once the public sees the proposed mine site, with its open-cut approach so close to a pristine river system, there will be an outcry. This is not the kind of business that will be supported by the community or the wider public.”

Kim Bridge, Dunham River. Photo: Jake Parker Imagery.

A call for government action

Conservationists are also speaking out against the mining proposal. Martin Pritchard, Acting CEO of Environs Kimberley, emphasised the need for sustainable development that protects the region’s globally significant landscapes. “This part of the Kimberley is one of the last truly wild places on Earth. To mine here would be completely out of step with any ethical standard of development. We need the renewable energy transition to happen, but not at the cost of destroying places like the Dunham River,” said Pritchard.

Both Bridge and Pritchard are calling on the WA government to protect the Dunham River and its catchment from destructive development. They urge Premier Roger Cook and Minister for Mines David Michael to take immediate action to rule out mining in this environmentally sensitive area.

“The Kimberley is one of the last unspoiled regions in Australia, and the government has a historic opportunity to protect it for future generations,” said Pritchard.

“We’re asking Minister for Water Simone McGurk to step up and lead the way in safeguarding these precious rivers before it’s too late.”

Martin Pritchard, Dunham River. Photo: Jake Parker Imagery.

Growing sustainable businesses not environmental destruction

The Country provides a wealth of opportunities for businesses to develop that focus on preserving and showcasing its natural beauty. “There’s enormous potential for eco-tourism, cultural experiences, and sustainable industries that respect the land,” he said. “But we must think beyond short-term profits and focus on the long-term health of this landscape. The Kimberley’s future lies in protecting places like the Dunham River, not destroying them.”

Wuudagu Bauxite Mining Project near Kalumburu

Mining company VBX Limited wants to build a new bauxite mine 15 km west of Kalumburu, with a place for treating the bauxite for export. It would be built on an important area of Wunambal Gaambera country.

We know from what has happened in Nyoongar country in the South West that bauxite mining leaves very large areas of sick country that will never be healthy again.

Environs Kimberley is worried that, if the Wuudagu bauxite project goes ahead, it will harm the trees and plants, water, soil, and animals in the area. We believe that this mining project could spread over much wider areas in the future. The project could open up the North Kimberley to a whole bauxite-mining industry like the one in the forests in the South West.

What we know about the Wuudagu Bauxite Project

According to information provided by the company, and research by Environs Kimberley, the Wuudagu Bauxite project will mean:

• Clearing all trees and other vegetation over nearly 20 square kilometres - about 86 times as big as the Kalumburu community. This area of clearing could get much bigger later on if the project grows. It will leave very wide areas of sick country that will never be healthy again.
• Very large machines digging up bauxite all day and night for at least 10 years, with bright lights and noise that people in Kalumburu could hear and see.
• An area of water bores and pumps, which will suck over 1 million litres of water every day from the underground aquifer. This could lower the water table and cause waterholes to dry up.
• Around 2.5 million tonnes per year of bauxite waste will be dumped back on country, where the bauxite came from. This will change the soil and the flow of water on country.
• Hundreds of trucks, running 24-hours a day, every day of the year to transport bauxite and waste along very wide new private mining roads west of Kalumburu.
• A massive factory and conveyor belt to load the bauxite onto barges at Guy Point. This will run 24 hours a day, with a lot of noise and bright lights. The loading will disturb sea animals like turtles, dolphins and dugongs.
• A private workers’ camp for 250 workers. It will have a rubbish tip, incinerator for burning rubbish, and a sewage plant.
• Giant diesel generators as big as semi-trailers running 24 hours a day.
• Big ships in the bay all the time near Kalumburu, being loaded with Bauxite. These ships risk polluting the water when they dump waste and ballast water. Their huge anchors will damage the sea floor.

The Kimberley is not the place for a big mining industry. There is no way that mining companies can make country healthy again after mining bauxite and dumping mining waste on country.

It is early days for the project, and it can be stopped if people speak up to protect country.

What we know about Bauxite mining on Nyoongar country in the Southwest

Bauxite mining has been going on for many years in forests in Noongar country in the South West. This has had very bad impacts on the forests, animals, water and local people.  Some of the important lessons from bauxite mining in the South West include:

• Once bauxite mining starts, it will keep growing. Once the company has mined all the first area, it will spread into nearby areas, getting bigger and bigger every year. Once mining has started it is very hard to stop it from spreading.
• Bauxite mines are much bigger than other mines. The layer of bauxite under the ground is quite thin and spread out. This means bauxite miners have to clear and mine very large areas.
• The trees and animals never come back healthy after bauxite mining. The mining companies say they will plant trees when they finish mining, but mining changes the soil and groundwater, so the plants and animals never come back healthy in the areas that have been mined.
• Bauxite mining damages water. Mining and processing bauxite uses huge amounts of water. Mining bauxite changes the water table and pollutes rivers and wetlands.
• Bauxite processing produces huge amounts of waste. In the South West, bauxite miners are not allowed to dump this waste back in the mine areas, so it is dumped in huge piles in other places.

For more information on the impacts of bauxite mining on Noongar country click here.

More information about the Wuudagu Bauxite Project

The Wuudagu Bauxite Project will use very large machines to dig bauxite (or gravel) out of the ground from two wide open-mining areas totalling approximately 15 square kilometres. The bauxite will be carted in trucks along a new haulage route to a processing plant near Guy Point. A conveyor belt will be built to load the bauxite ore onto barges, where it will be transferred to ships offshore. Each part of the development and its potential impacts are described below.

Clearing of trees and vegetation

The project will initially require trees and other vegetation to be cleared over nearly 20 square kilometres. This is about 86 times the size of the Kalumburu community (where the houses are), or two and a half thousand times the size of the Kalumburu oval.

The cleared areas will include nearly 15 square kilometres for bauxite mining, and 4.8 square kilometres for roads, processing plant, accommodation camp, borefield and other purposes.

The bauxite in the mine areas that the company is seeking approval for will only last 10 years, but the mining tenement boundaries for the development are much larger than this initial mine area. This means that the mining company will almost certainly seek future approvals to greatly expand the size of the mine area in the future. See the map below showing the size of the initial mining areas and the much bigger tenement boundary marked in red.

Example of landclearing in the Kimberley - complete destruction of ecosystems

Excavation of Bauxite

Once the areas are cleared, excavation of the bauxite will begin over a wide area, in a process called strip mining. This means the entire surface of the ground is dug up by machines over wide areas to a depth of about 4 metres, to get the layer of bauxite around 3 metres thick. This process will remove all surface soil.

The bauxite will be dug up and trucked away for processing at a rate of 6 million tonnes every year. About 2.5 million tonnes per year of bauxite processing waste (containing clay) will then be dumped back into the areas that have been mined, while 3.5 million tonnes per year will be exported.

Once this happens, the land, soil and water-flows will be changed, and the surface level of the country will be different. Because of these changes, it is unlikely the country will ever be healthy again.

Bore-field and water use

The project will use over 1 million litres of water per day, or nearly 400 million litres per year. This will be used by the bauxite processing plant, for spraying on the minesite and haul roads to keep dust down, and for the accommodation camp. Bores will be drilled into the ground to supply the project with water. Pumping this amount of water from underground could affect the groundwater in the area around the bore-field. It could lower groundwater levels, which may lead to wetlands and waterholes drying up and may leave people and animals without water to drink. It could also lead to salty seawater entering the underground aquifer, turning it salty and making plants and animals sick.

Workers’ accommodation camp

A workers’ camp will be built for 250 people. This will include a rubbish tip, waste incinerator and sewage disposal pits. There will be 24-hour light pollution and the facility will operate 24 hours a day. Community members will not be allowed into the facility. Workers’ camps usually attract and breed feral cats and foxes, which hunt and kill a lot of wildlife. Up to 250 (mostly male) workers will stay at the camp, which may provide alcohol to workers. They may be looking for fishing, 4-wheel driving and other activities.

Power generation

Generators up to 6 MVA capacity will be installed. These are likely to be 2–4 diesel generators, each the size of a semi-trailer.  The huge generator units will be operating 24 hours a day, causing a lot of noise and air pollution. There will also be a power distribution network, including many kilometres of poles and wires. No power or diesel will be supplied to the community.

Mine Haul Road

35KM of haul roads 100m wide will be constructed from the mining areas to a beneficiation plant inland of Guy Point. These roads are much wider than a normal road. The haul road will flatten hills, creeks and valleys, and will change the way the water flows over the country when it rains.  Very heavy trucks will go up and down  24 hours a day, carrying bauxite. This will cause constant noise and light pollution, disrupting and killing wildlife, and disrupting hunting grounds. Community people will not be allowed to go on the road.

Bauxite processing plant with conveyor and barge-loading facility

The processing (or beneficiation) plant will be a very big factory-type facility operating 24 hours a  day with a lot of lights, noise and dust and big trucks constantly coming and going. The processing plant is likely to be about size of the whole Kalumburu community or even bigger.

At the processing plant, the bauxite or gravel will be crushed into paste and mixed with water. This plant will generate large amounts of waste every day which will be trucked back to the mined areas and dumped.

There will be a long conveyor belt to transfer the bauxite ore to barges at Guy Point. This will require a new jetty to be built and noisy loading and barge movements going 24 hours a day under bright lights at night. This will have impacts on marine life, including dolphins, turtles and dugong.

Transfer of bauxite ore from barges to ships

The barges will be used to transfer the bauxite ore to much larger ships, which will be anchored in the bay near Kalumburu. These ships will unload ballast water, which could bring diseases for fish and marine life; their engines will cause pollution, and their huge anchors or tethering systems will cause damage to the sea floor.

Proposed Wuudagu Bauxite project area

The map below shows the location of the mining areas (in light and dark blue) that the company is seeking environmental approval for. It also shows the proposed haul road and processing facilities at Guy Point. The red outline shows the mining tenement boundaries, which provides an indication of where the mining areas could be expanded to in the future.