Bauxite lobbyists accuse MLA Terry Redman of failing to protect land from bauxite mining

An anti-bauxite mining lobby group has accused Blackwood Stirling MLA Terry Redman of failing to protect the Warren Blackwood area from the threat of bauxite mining.

The Bauxite and Alumina Action Group claimed Mr Redman and other Nationals’ ‘‘apathy’’ towards possible bauxite mining in the region was in stark contrast to successful action by the Liberals to protect Margaret River from coal mining.

Bauxite Resources Limited’s appeal against the Mining Warden’s recommendation it be denied three exploration licences between Manjimup and Bridgetown will be considered by Mines and Petroleum minister Norman Moore once all submissions have been made by August 31.

Opponents fear a possible alumina refinery near Manjimup would damage the environment and taint the region’s status as WA’s Food Bowl, but BRL called the claims ‘‘scaremongering’’ and ‘‘premature’’.

Bauxite and Alumina Action Group convenor Neil Bartholomeus said Mr Redman had been contemptuous of the recent Proposal to Protect Agricultural Communities in WA from Mining report.

‘‘Mr Redman’s claim...that the greatest threat to prime agricultural land was urbanisation rather than mining is absurd and an insult to the thousands of farming families in the South West whose properties have been covered in applications related to bauxite mining,’’ he said.

The $7 million Royalties for Regions grant for an agricultural expansion project in Manjimup was chicken feed to the damage bauxite mining and alumina refining would cause to the South West’s $100 million annual agriculture industry, Mr Bartholomeus said.

Mr Redman said applications for bauxite mining in the Warren Blackwood region would be assessed on their own merits, as they were elsewhere in WA.

He said urbanisation was the greatest challenge to prime agricultural land and would remain so because of the anticipated doubling of the population in the next 40 years.