Australia-US minerals deal underpinned decision to allow Alcoa to keep clearing WA forest, document reveals
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/feb/21/australia-us-minerals-underpinned-decision-to-allow-alcoa-to-keep-clearing-wa-forest-document-reveals
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What a strange series of events. A mining company gets “warned” over literally 15 years to stop clearing, then gets slugged with a big 55 million dollar fine, then the government continues to let them clear? Either the actual clearing isn’t that bad or extensive and the fine is on a legal technicality or the government simply doesn’t care about the forests lol.
They had defacto government permission the whole time.
“The WA Greens upper house MP Jess Beckerling said it was “staggering to read that Alcoa has been clearing illegally since 2011, that the department has been informing Alcoa of its obligations since that time, but that no penalty has been imposed until now”.
The department heads would have a meeting at some Perth club with Alcoa every year for 15 years, and inform them they needed a Form 393B to clear Jarrah forests. Alcoa would say they’ll have someone look into it straight away and then they’d both giggle like crazy, clink glasses and wait for the next stripper to come on stage.
Not only did the Australian government fail to enforce Australia’s environmental laws, they rewarded the company with a deal made under pressure of the US.
This is heartbreaking.
Our climate and country need us more than ever yet we continue to sell it out for easy cash.
We are going to keep going until there is no wilderness and no wild life left.
There’s absolutely no evidence against this.
The planet will be left with only human controlled environments and species that either manage to survive in our environment, or that we deem useful for our own purpose.
This will not be a stable planet.
Sounds to me like its just the US mining their 52nd state