Virtual consultation room
Learn more about various aspects of the Worsley Alumina Mine Development and submit comments in our virtual consultation room.
Visit the virtual consultation roomWorsley Alumina is an integrated bauxite mining and alumina refining operation in the South West of Western Australia. Beginning operations in 1984, it is today recognised as one of the largest alumina refineries in the world.
We are proposing the next phase of bauxite mining near the town of Boddington, providing access to future reserves and resources to sustain production at our Worsley Alumina refinery near Collie.
About Worsley
Fact sheets and environmental information relating to the Worsley Mine Development project can be found in the document library:
Other key links (external websites)
Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)
Find information about the referral & approval process for major projects as well as general state regulatory information.
EPA - Proposal information
The EPA webpage will provide updated information on the progress of the approval process, including links to publicly released information and how to make a submission.
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE)
Find information about the referral & approval process for major projects as well as general Federal regulatory information.
DAWE – Proposal Information
Information relating to the proposal can be found by searching under referral number 2019/8437 in the search function.
The benefits
The benefits
Worsley Alumina is a key contributor to the Western Australian economy. We are one of the largest private sector employers in the Peel and South West regions, with approximately 1,500 permanent employees and more than 500 contractors.
We inject more than AU$1 million per day into the local economy through wages, local business spend and community investment.
The next phase of mining would sustain the employment of our workforce, create approximately 150 jobs during construction, and continue to deliver socio-economic benefits to our local communities.
Environment
Environment
We are seeking State and Commonwealth approval for the Worsley Mine Development and have prepared an Environmental Review Document (ERD) in support of our application.
The ERD addresses all matters of environmental management relating to the project, including Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES), and includes specialist environmental studies to address the assessment requirements and the feedback from our stakeholders.
In July 2019, the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (WA EPA) announced the level of assessment as a Public Environment Review, with an eight week public review for the Environmental Review Document.
In October 2019, the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment announced that it will undertake an accredited assessment, allowing the WA EPA to conduct the assessment.
Bauxite and Alumina
Bauxite and Alumina
Bauxite is mined near the town of Boddington, 130 kilometres south east of Perth. The bauxite is transported to the alumina refinery via an overland conveyor system that stretches more than 50 kilometres. The refinery extracts alumina using a four-stage Bayer process.
This process turns the red bauxite rock into white alumina powder. The alumina is then transported 55 kilometres by rail to the Bunbury Port for export to aluminium smelters worldwide, including South32’s Hillside and Mozal aluminium smelters in Southern Africa.
The alumina is used in the smelting process to produce aluminium. Aluminium is strong, flexible, light-weight, durable, 100 per cent recyclable. It plays a crucial role in producing lighter vehicles and other forms of transport due to its high strength-to-weight ratio.
Aluminium is resistant to corrosion and is recyclable, making it an increasingly popular choice in modern sustainable buildings. It is also widely used in machinery, packaging and electronics.
