Save Dalgarup

19 May 2025

Flinders Prospecting, owned by mining company IGO, has applied for 2 mining exploration licences across the Dalgarup Donnelly forest area. WA Mines Minister, David Michael, has the power to refuse these applications – your voice in requesting him to exercise this power is important.

The tenements (E70/6654 & E70/6655) cover an area of 32,000 hectares of unique, high conservation value forest in the Southwest biodiversity hotspot of Western Australia. Bridgetown Greenbushes Friends of the Forest and Blackwood Environment Society have come together to Save Dalgarup and object to these tenements.

The forest around Dalgarup has a mature understory, magnificent examples of Jarrah, Marri and Blackbutt, and contains the northernmost occurrence of inland Karri. The local community has a strong attachment to the forest, campaigning on many fronts since the early 1980s.

With their rich understory and mature trees the forests are home to many rare and endangered plant and animal species, including all three species of Black Cockatoo, a population of mainland Quokka, Chuditch, Western Brush Wallaby, Phascogale and the Western Ringtail Possum. They also support tourism and recreation, including the Bibbulmun Track, Munda Biddi Trail, Warren Blackwood Stock Route, Bridgetown Jarrah Park, Karri Gully and the heritage-listed Donnelly Village.

In addition to their objections in the Mining Warden’s Court, the Save Dalgarup group are preparing an application to the Honourable David Michael MLA, Minister for Mines and Petroleum, asking that the Minister refuse the tenements, using his powers under section 111A of the Mining Act.

If the Minister exercises his discretion to refuse the tenements, the Save Dalgarup group will avoid the need for its objections to be considered by a Mining Warden at a court hearing.

If you are opposed to the grant of these tenements, please show your support by signing the online petition no later than 13 June 2025

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Protect the tingles from prescribed burning, for good

Tingles are a large, ancient tree species that are only found in a small area in WA’s Southwest, close to Walpole. They can live for more than 400 years, reach heights over 55 metres and have the largest base of any eucalypt, and provide critical habitat to many threatened plants and animals. They are vulnerable to frequent fire.

In December 2024, Giants East, a tingle forest block in the famed Valley of the Giants, was torched as part of the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA)’s prescribed burning program.

More than 100 giant trees collapsed in the intense burn, with flames reaching the tops of many trees in one of the worst outcomes seen by WA’s prescribed burning program.

After persistent community action, three tingle-karri blocks, Nornalup, Coalmine and Mount Clare received a reprieve at the end of 2025 and were removed from the burn plan until July 2026.

But these blocks, and other tingle forests, aren’t safe forever. They could be on the burn plan for 2026-27. There must be a commitment from the WA Government to permanently protect tingles from prescribed burning and revise how fire is managed in these areas.

Over time, tingle forests self-thin and become naturally less flammable. Left unburnt, they are less of a fire risk than forests burnt in the last 30 years.

In a drying climate that is increasingly prone to bushfires, it’s important to be bushfire ready, but prescribed burning shouldn’t be the only tool in our bushfire prevention kit. It is vital that the Southwest’s prescribed burning practices reflect current science and a changed climate, and funding is directed towards rapid detection and suppression of bushfires.

Smoking collapsed Tingle after the giants east burn

It is of the highest priority that the tingles are protected from fire not just in this burn plan, but for good.

Please contact the Premier and relevant Ministers using our template to urge them to permanently protect tingle forests from prescribed burning. Enter your details to start writing your email.

Read more about the Giants East burn or about rapid suppression technology.