Morangup locals form Avon and Hills Mining Awareness Group

Worried Morangup locals have formed an awareness group after raising concerns about a possible development in their community.

Morangup borders the Avon Valley National Park and has Toodyay 30 kilometres to its east.

Calling themselves the Avon and Hills Mining Awareness Group (AHMAG), the residents have come together to oppose a planned bauxite mine by Bauxite Alumina Joint Ventures (BAJV), a partnership of Bauxite Resources and Yankuang Resources.

The mine is part of the Felicitas Bauxite Mining Project which would mine bauxite for processing into alumina.

The Felicitas Project is located mostly in the Shire of Toodyay with some extensions in Northam and Mundaring Shires.

The resource starts 1.5 kilometres south of the Perth to Kalgoorlie railway line, extending 20km south across Morangup Road and Toodyay Road to a point 5kms north west of Wundowie.

The Felicitas Project property areas total about 6300 hectares.

Inside this, the bauxite covers about 3100 hectares, of which 1900 hectares is completely cleared farmland, 225 hectares is parkland, cleared farmland with some isolated paddock trees and 960 hectares is bush.

The resource consists of approximately 230 million tonnes of bauxite ore and would operate for at least 25 years, with about 120 hectares mined each year.

AHMAG president Brian Dale said the AHMAG had a host of issues with the project.

These include noise and light pollution, an increase in traffic, the possibility of the company expanding to other locations and potential reduction in property prices.

“One of our big issues is dust contamination into our rainwater tanks,” he said.

Mr Dale said the concern was particularly relevant given Morangup receive easterly wind gusts and residents only use rainwater tanks given a lack of scheme water.

Another issue raised by the AHMAG was the clearing of bushland to establish the mine.

BAJV general manager Bill Moss said clearing and rehabilitation were done progressively during the life of the mine.

"When the mine planning study is done, final numbers will become clearer as not all of the bauxite under bush will be mined and some small areas may need to be cleared outside the bauxite coverage for infrastructure,” he said.

Mr Dale stressed the AHMAG was not an anti-mining group, stating there were vast deposits of bauxite ore elsewhere and of better quality.

“To propose a mine in this location, so close to metropolitan Perth and so many Morangup residents is socially and environmentally irresponsible,” he said.