It feels like we’ve just been here.
Once again, West Australians are being asked to stand between the Northern Jarrah Forest and irreversible destruction — driven by bauxite mining, dressed up as “critical minerals”, and accelerated by international political deals that treat WA forests as expendable collateral.
In late 2025, the WA community delivered an unmistakable message. A record 59,000 public submissions were lodged with the WA Environmental Protection Authority opposing Alcoa’s proposal to clear another 11,500 hectares of the Northern Jarrah Forest. More than 2,000 people rallied at Parliament, town halls were packed, and for the first time in 60 years, Alcoa’s operations were subjected to sustained public scrutiny.
That pressure worked. In November 2025, Alcoa withdrew proposed exploration areas in the Perth Hills following community backlash — a decision welcomed by the Shire of Mundaring as a “significant win” for biodiversity and water security.
But the threat never left.
Now, the fight has returned under a new banner: gallium extraction — and with far greater geopolitical pressure behind it.
What’s happening in WA’s Jarrah Forests?
In October 2025, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump signed a US$8.5 billion (AUD$13.5 billion) critical minerals framework agreement, committing both countries to fast-track mineral projects deemed strategically important.
Western Australia sits at the centre of that deal.
As part of the agreement:
- The Alcoa–Sojitz Gallium Recovery Project at Wagerup was allocated US$200 million in concessional equity finance
- The project could supply around 10% of the world’s gallium
- The agreement includes commitments to accelerate approvals and permitting processes, raising serious concerns about the independence of environmental assessments
Gallium is used in defence technologies, semiconductors, advanced electronics and military systems — making it highly attractive to the United States as it seeks to secure supply chains amid global tension.
But the cost of this “security partnership” is being paid locally.
The Wagerup refinery sits adjacent to the Northern Jarrah Forest, a globally unique ecosystem that:
- Protects Perth’s drinking water catchments
- Stores significant carbon
- Supports threatened species including Carnaby’s, Baudin’s and Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoos, Chuditch and Quokkas
- Holds deep cultural significance for First Nations people
Alcoa is now seeking access to another 11,500 hectares of native forest — despite 60 years of failed rehabilitation, ongoing concerns about PFAS contamination, and warnings that forest ecosystems do not recover after bauxite mining.
As WA Forest Alliance Director Jess Boyce put it:
“Alcoa has lost its social licence. The destruction of our precious jarrah forests will no longer be tolerated.”
Why the Big Jarrah Loop matters
This is where the Big Jarrah Loop comes in.
On February 24, 2026, forest protectors Rick England and Hon Jess Beckerling MLC are calling West Australians to Parliament House for a peaceful, powerful act of resistance.
The Big Jarrah Loop is a mass walk through Boorloo (Perth) — a visible, physical reminder that these forests are not abstract policy zones or bargaining chips in international trade deals. They are living systems. And once they are gone, they are gone forever.
Jess Beckerling recently walked through one of the largest mining scars in the Northern Jarrah Forest and described it as “confronting to witness in person”. That devastation is not hypothetical. It already exists — and Alcoa wants more.
History has shown:
- Not a single hectare has been rehabilitated to an acceptable standard
- Water contamination risks are “almost certain”
- Wildlife habitat loss is permanent, not temporary
No amount of ESG language or political spin changes that reality.
What can you do right now?
1. Join the Big Jarrah Loop
Stand shoulder to shoulder with thousands of West Australians at Parliament House on February 24, 2026.
Details will be released soon but the date matters. Please save it.
This is your backyard. This is your water. This is your children’s future.
2. Sign the WA Parliament e-Petition
In the lead-up to the Big Jarrah Loop, there is a critical formal action you can take.
The Legislative Council e-Petition, led by Rick England and facilitated by Hon Jess Beckerling, calls on the WA Government to:
- Protect the Northern Jarrah Forest
- Reject any mining deals tied to Donald Trump’s administration
- Defend the independence of the EPA
- Safeguard water supplies, transparency, and community consultation
- Launch a formal inquiry into Alcoa’s State Agreement Act and the influence of the US–Australia critical minerals deal
The petition closes 8 April 2026 and is open to WA residents only.
Because our forests must never be treated as collateral for international deals.
Want to stay in the loop? Follow Jess Beckerling and Ricky England, or keep an eye out on allexplorers.com for more details about the Big Jarrah Loop.
