Stand with WAFA against Telupac’s forest mining plans

10 April 2025

Mining company Telupac has applied for seven exploration licences putting WA’s unique Jarrah forests at risk. WA Mines Minister, David Michael, has the power to refuse Telupac’s application – but he needs to act now.

Combined, the tenements cover 126,796ha of the Northern Jarrah Forest. WAFA have objected to three in the Mining Warden’s Court alongside other community groups and are also applying to the Minister for Mines to refuse the tenements.

WA Forest Alliance (WAFA) has objected to the grant of three of tenements – E70/6456, E70/6457, and E70/6458, which cover 60,351 hectares of the Northern Jarrah Forest, and is concerned also about the other four Telupac licences covering a further 66,435 hectares.

These high conservation value forests should not be destroyed by mining. Instead they must be safeguarded in protected areas to ensure that their water, climate, cultural and ecological values are conserved into the future.

WAFA has objected on the following grounds:

Any awarding of the tenements with standard conditions attached would be inadequate in light of the potential environmental impacts and importance of the Northern Jarrah Forest.

It goes against the public interest for tenements to be granted in places of such significant biodiversity, water, land and soils, and cultural values.

Given the location of the tenements, the potential environmental impacts and associated requirements of any applied conditions (such as an Environmental Impact Assessment process, water licencing requirements or Aboriginal Heritage requirements), Telupac will not be able to effectively explore the land.

In addition to its objection in the Mining Warden’s Court, WAFA is preparing an application to the Honourable David Michael MLA, Minister for Mines and Petroleum, asking that the Minister refuse the tenements, using the Minister’s powers under section 111A of the Mining Act.’

But we need your help!

If the Minister exercises his discretion to refuse the tenements, WAFA will avoid the need for its objections to be determined by a Mining Warden at a hearing.

WAFA requests your assistance with its application to the Minister. If you are opposed to the grant of the tenements, please show your support by signing this online petition.

We request that you please show your support and sign the petition by no later than 20 April 2025.

Join WA Forest Alliance in calling on WA Mines Minister David Michael to refuse Telupac’s forest mining tenements.

Sign the petition

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.