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❓ WA Parliamentary Question on Notice regarding Alcoa's bauxite mining operations in WA, covering clearing, rehabilitation, production, residue, and royalties. The answer provides detailed data except for alumina production by refinery and royalty income.

AnsweredQoN 1451Legislative Council

Asked

18 May 2023

Member

Hon Dr Brad Pettitt

Portfolio

State Development, Jobs and Trade

QuestionView source ↗

With respect to Alcoa in Australia, and its subsidiaries and associated companies, and their bauxite mining operations in Western Australia, I ask: (a) for each of Alcoa's Huntly and Willowdale mines, how many hectares of native forest have been cleared in each of the years 2020, 2021 and 2022; (b) for each of Alcoa's Huntly and Willowdale mines, how many hectares of areas previously classified as rehabilitated have been cleared in each of the years 2020, 2021 and 2022; (c) for each of Alcoa's Huntly and Willowdale mines, how many hectares were classified as rehabilitated in each of the years 2020, 2021 and 2022; (d) for each of Alcoa's Huntly and Willowdale mines, how many tonnes of bauxite were produced in each of the years 2020, 2021 and 2022; (e) for each of Alcoa's Huntly and Willowdale mines, how many tonnes of bauxite were exported in each of the years 2020, 2021 and 2022; (f) for the most recently approved Mining and Management Program what are the planned clearing rates in hectares for each of the Huntly and Willowdale mine sites for each of the five years of the plan; (g) for the most recently approved Mining and Management Program what is the approved or expected bauxite production from each of the Huntly and Willowdale mine sites for each of the five years of the plan; (h) for each of Alcoa's three refineries Kwinana, Pinjarra and Wagerup what has been the annual bauxite residue production in millions of tonnes for each of the years 2020, 2021 and 2022; (i) for each of Alcoa's three refineries Kwinana, Pinjarra and Wagerup what has been the annual alumina production in millions of tonnes for each of the years 2020, 2021 and 2022; (j) for each of Alcoa's three refineries Kwinana, Pinjarra and Wagerup what is the current footprint of residue disposal areas; and (k) what has been the royalty income received from Alcoa for each of the years 2020, 2021 and 2022?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered

20 June 2023

Responded by

Minister for Emergency Services representing the Minister for State Development, Jobs and Trade

Response time

7 days

(a)
Clearing (Hectares)
Year
Huntly
Willowdale
2020
530
293
2021
290
182
2022
238
141
(b)
Clearing of previously rehabilitated areas (Hectares)
Year
Huntly
Willowdale*
2020
0
3.7
2021
11.5
9.5
2022
0
0
*Alcoa’s estimated values
(c)
Classified as rehabilitated (Hectares)
Year
Huntly
Willowdale
2020
484
138
2021
361
220
2022
384
124
(d)
Bauxite production (million dry tonnes)
Year
Huntly
Willowdale
FY2020
27.3
10.6
FY2021
27.5
10.5
FY2022
24.6
9.7
*Reported figures only available in financial years.
(e)
Bauxite exported (million dry tonnes)
Year
Huntly
Willowdale
FY2020
2.1
0.0
FY2021
1.2
0.0
FY2022
0.0
0.0
(f)
21 – 25 MMP – planned clearing rates (hectares)
Year
Huntly
Willowdale
2021
371
161
2022
479
222
2023
586
192
2024
474
196
2025
69
162
(g)
21 – 25 MMP - approved bauxite production (million dry tonnes)
Year
Huntly
Willowdale
2021
25.9
9.6
2022
23.7
9.8
2023
23.9
10.4
2024
24.4
11.1
2025
24.5
11.2
(h)
Bauxite Residue Production (Million tonnes by year)
Year
Kwinana
Pinjarra
Wagerup
2020
4.41
9.05
5.63
2021
4.59
8.90
5.47
2022
4.20
8.66
5.05
(i) Alcoa has not consented to the public release of disaggregated values for individual refineries on the basis of commercial in confidence. The following values are aggregated across all three refineries.
Alumina Production (Million tonnes by year)
Year
Alcoa
2020
9.73
2021
9.58
2022
8.98
(j)
Footprint (as at June 2023, Hectares)
Kwinana*
Pinjarra
Wagerup
Including water ponds
488
920
631
Residue Storage Areas only
346
740
459
*Excludes the retired ABC Residue Storage Areas located adjacent to the Perth Motorplex on Anketell Rd.
(k) In accordance with Regulation 95A and Regulation 96(2) of the Mining Regulations 1981, Government does not release statistics such that information in respect of a particular person or mining operation can be ascertained.

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