As stated by environment spokesperson for the Australian Greens, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young:
"Minister Watt's decision to give Alcoa a free pass to continue strip-mining the precious Northern Jarrah Forest is all the more staggering in light of evidence that the company has been unlawfully clearing for up to 15 years with no consequences.
"You cannot talk up being tough on crime, and in the same breath reward those that break the laws with a free pass to continue clearing in a biodiversity hotspot.
"Let's be clear - the deal that has been struck is not a punishment for Alcoa, it is just the cost of doing business.
"Alcoa has been illegally clearing native forest without approval for many years. More allegations this week make it clear that this US-owned company systemically breaches its agreements and has no regard for our laws or the nature they protect.
"Giving them a free pass to continue doing so only reinforces that bad behaviour, while putting threatened species, critical drinking water and the climate at risk. This is not in the national interest.
"There should be a one-strike-and-you're-out rule. These big Trump-backed US companies cannot be trusted with Australia's native forests and our Environment Minister should not be handing out free passes for them to do so.
"When concerns were raised about the national interest test, the Minister said it would only be used in very rare circumstances. Yet at the first opportunity, he's handing an exemption to a US company that has ignored environmental laws for years to keep Trump happy. This is a worrying precedent, and there's no doubt other mining companies are lining up for the same treatment.
"The Greens will be examining this issue at the Senate inquiry on Friday into national environment standards."
As stated by Jess Beckerling, WA Greens MLC:
"It is not in the national interest to threaten Perth's water supply or to destroy nationally listed species habitat. This exemption is absurd and has been met with visceral anger here in WA.
"Minister Watt's statement of reasons reveals that the federal department has been informing Alcoa it requires federal approval since 2011. Why did they not intervene in any meaningful way, allowing clearing illegally for 15 years in WA's beloved northern jarrah forests?
"Alcoa appears to have zero regard for state or federal laws. I have now submitted three suspected breaches of its WA exemption order and as soon as they are confirmed, the law there is black and white, it must be cancelled and clearing must stop."
