- Alcoa Exemption Order to be updated to align with a revised Mining Management Program
- The current Order will remain in place until a new Order comes into effect
- Updated regulatory arrangements expected to be finalised over coming weeks
The State Government is updating the regulatory arrangements that apply to Alcoa's operations.
Alcoa operates under an Exemption Order as part of the government's Transitional Approvals Framework, which allows the company to continue operations while the independent Environmental Protection Authority undertakes an assessment of the company's bauxite mining proposals.
An updated Mining Management Program (MMP) is being finalised by Department of Energy and Economic Diversification, in consultation with other agencies.
As part of this process, the Exemption Order must be updated to align with the revised MMP, giving certainty and consistency to both the regulator and Alcoa.
The first step in this process is issuing a Notice of Intention to revoke the existing Exemption Order, which has been published in the Government Gazette.
The current Order remains in place until the new order comes into effect, allowing Alcoa to continue its operations throughout this process.
The updated MMP and Exemption Order will be finalised over the coming weeks, with tabling of the new Exemption Order in Parliament in due course.
Comments attributed to the Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn:
"The State Government is updating the regulatory arrangements that apply to Alcoa's operations.
"As part of this process, the new MMP and Exemption Order will be aligned to deliver strong environmental protection while providing certainty for ongoing mining activity.
"This process forms part of the Cook Labor Government's commitment to maintaining robust environmental protections while supporting local jobs and keeping Western Australia's economy the strongest in the country."
