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In short:
Residents of several communities in WA's south-west say they're concerned by the expansion of South32's Worsley Alumina bauxite mine.
Concerns allege environmental destruction, changing hydrology, and claims of bad faith community engagement by the miner.
What's next?
The mining giant says it will continue to work openly with people in all impacted communities.
Residents from a number of communities in south-west Western Australia have banded together to oppose future South32 projects amid rising community concerns over the mining giant's Worsley Alumina bauxite project.
Locals for Environmental Action and Protection (LEAP) represents community members from the Shires of Boddington, Wandering, and Williams, around 130 kilometres south-east of Perth.
The group formed last year after mining operations at Worsley Alumina ramped up and a haul road was installed over Pinjarra-Williams Road.
It has since hosted several community information sessions in Boddington and Quindanning to share information and gauge public sentiment about the bauxite mine.
More than 130 appeals were lodged against last month's approval of the expansion at Worsley.
These included appeals by South32 itself which claimed restrictions went too far and would impact the viability of the mine, and LEAP and the WA Forest Alliance which said the conditions did not go far enough.
LEAP spokesperson Josie Sherlock said the main concern of the group, and the locals it represents, was the changing hydrology in the area due to land clearing.
It was also concerned about the amount of water used by the mine to mitigate the spread of dust and claims of inadequate community consultation.
Miner says open community forum long established
Similar concerns about water use and access to state forests have been expressed about neighbouring bauxite miner Alcoa in recent times.
And in the past, Alcoa's yearly environmental management plans were dealt with by the state government behind closed doors.
In this instance, Dr Sherlock said many of the locals in Boddington and Quindanning were not even aware of the Worsley's Community Liaison Committee (CLC) until February of last year.
"Nobody told us it existed, and the Community Liaison Committee did not reach out to anybody or even tell us of future plans," she said.
A South32 spokesperson said the CLC had operated since 2004 and provided an open forum for community members.
"We have previously invited LEAP to join the mine CLC but our invitation has not been accepted," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said consultation included face to face meetings, community sessions, and the introduction of an online virtual consultation room for people to share their views about the project.
Water of major concern for locals
Quindanning farmer Tim Mounsey first came to the area in 1985, one year after Worsley Alumina began operations.
He worked two stints at Worsley in 1996, and more recently between 2012 and 2019.
"You start seeing their footprint, their mining footprint has spread out like a virus. It's just getting bigger and bigger," he said.
"Where they rehab areas, once upon a time we could go driving through the bush up and around Mount Saddleback."
He said the amount of dust in the area due to the mining operations had always been around, but locals were starting to get more concerned.
"In the early days the trucks only had short runs and the mining activities were concentrated more so around the crushers, but now that has been depleted they are going further afield," he said.
Like the LEAP members, Mr Mounsey was also concerned about the changing hydrology in the region.
As a volunteer firefighter for the Quindanning area he said he had encountered waterlogging in places where he responded to bushfire call outs — places that, as a long-time local, he said water should not be.
"You're looking at close to four acres in one spot and it was all waterlogged. All the [Wandoo] trees were dead," Mr Mounsey said.
"They're changing the hydrology of the whole area."
Though not part of LEAP, he said there were many more community members and farmers like himself who felt the same way.
"I don't have children but I feel for the next generation and the generation after that. The landscape has changed massively," he said.