Alcoa fights for future in the Jarrah Forest as approvals debate heats up and rehabilitation record takes centre stage

When Elsabe Muller, president and vice president operations of Alcoa Australia, took the stage at Optus Stadium for the WA Mining Club’s July luncheon, she knew the audience expected candour. In the role for less than a year, she is already steering the company through one of the most significant challenges in its long history in Western Australia: securing approvals to keep its refineries operating for decades to come.

At the centre of the debate lies the Northern Jarrah Forest, where Alcoa mines the bauxite that feeds its Pinjarra and Wagerup refineries. For supporters, Alcoa is an economic engine, contributing more than $3 billion a year to the state and directly employing 4,600 people. For critics, its mining footprint raises concerns about water security, biodiversity, and the legacy of land disturbance.

A process under the spotlight

Elsabe did not downplay the stakes. “This approvals process is about keeping our refineries operating,” she told the audience in conversation with broadcaster Tim McMillan. “To do that, we need access to future mining areas. Without approvals, those refineries would eventually run out of ore.”

The approvals are playing out against a backdrop of heightened public scrutiny. Submissions from environmental groups and community representatives have flagged fears of habitat loss, water contamination and cumulative impacts on nearby communities. Elsabe acknowledged the opposition but stressed the company’s record.

“We’ve never impacted drinking water since the 1960s,” she said. “We’ve created a reservoir protection zone, pulled back from Serpentine Dam, and invested heavily in drainage control to ensure water supplies remain protected.”

Rehabilitation as a test of credibility

If water is one flashpoint, forest rehabilitation is another. Alcoa has long positioned itself as a leader in mine rehabilitation, with a dedicated research centre focused on restoring jarrah ecosystems. Elsabe cited awards and accolades as evidence of credibility.

“We’ve received international recognition for the quality of our rehabilitation,” she said. “When you walk through areas we’ve mined and then restored, people often can’t tell the difference.”

The numbers tell part of the story. According to Alcoa’s latest reporting, the company has more than 55 years of rehabilitation practice, and only 2 percent of the Northern Jarrah Forest has been cleared for mining. Of that land, 75 percent has already been rehabilitated. In 2024 alone, Alcoa rehabilitated 659 hectares and planted 500,000 native seedlings.

These achievements have earned recognition from the UN Global 500 honour roll and WA’s Golden Gecko award for environmental excellence. But for many, questions remain. How well do rehabilitated sites function compared to intact forest? How resilient are they under the pressures of climate change? Elsabe’s invitation to “come and see” for themselves — tours are open to the public — was part of her strategy to demystify Alcoa’s operations.

Approvals in a climate of mistrust

Elsabe is no stranger to environmental debates. Before joining Alcoa, she was BHP’s global head of health, safety and environment. She conceded that scrutiny of mining companies is increasing everywhere, but argued Alcoa faces particular attention because of its proximity to communities.

“Any mining company will face more scrutiny today,” she said. “In Alcoa’s case, because we’re operating in the jarrah forest and close to where people live, the visibility is greater.”

That visibility is amplified by the broader pressures on the aluminium industry. Alcoa’s second-quarter results showed the vulnerability of Australian refineries to market swings: realised alumina prices fell from $575 per tonne in Q1 to $378 per tonne in Q2, sending segment earnings sharply lower. The company’s ability to sustain investment in rehabilitation and new technologies is tied to navigating these cycles while keeping community trust.

Balancing carbon and community

While public consultation focuses heavily on local impacts, Elsabe repeatedly linked the approvals to global decarbonisation. Aluminium is a “future-facing commodity,” she argued, essential for solar panels, transmission lines and electric vehicles. If Alcoa cannot mine bauxite in WA under stringent conditions, she suggested, production would shift to jurisdictions with higher carbon footprints and weaker environmental safeguards.

“Our WA refineries have half the carbon intensity of the global average,” she said. “If you shifted this capacity elsewhere, you’d actually increase the world’s carbon footprint for aluminium.”

That argument resonates with some policymakers and industry partners, but it does little to placate those worried about the fate of jarrah ecosystems. The approvals debate has therefore become not just a test of Alcoa’s regulatory compliance, but of its ability to persuade the community that local impacts are justified by global benefits.

A legacy on the line

Elsabe framed the issue in values-based terms. “We care deeply for people, we act with integrity, we drive excellence, and we lead with courage,” she said. “That’s what we expect from everyone at Alcoa, and it’s what we expect from our suppliers too.”

Her own values, shaped on a farm in South Africa, emphasise integrity and care. They underpin her leadership style and her insistence that Alcoa must be judged on its record, not its rhetoric.

But she knows that trust is fragile. “We have confidence we’ll get the approvals,” she said. “We’re putting all our effort into making sure we do.”

What’s at stake

Alcoa’s presence in WA is foundational to the global company. The Darling Range bauxite mine delivered 27.7 million dry metric tonnes in 2024, making it the largest single source in Alcoa’s portfolio. The Pinjarra and Wagerup refineries together represent more than 7.5 million tonnes of alumina capacity. By contrast, the Kwinana refinery — once a symbol of industrial strength — remains fully curtailed.

Without new mining approvals, those operating refineries will eventually face declining feedstock quality and volumes. That, in turn, would threaten jobs, supply contracts and the billions of dollars in annual economic contribution to WA.

For Elsabe, the challenge is clear. She must persuade regulators, communities and industry stakeholders that Alcoa can maintain its social licence in the jarrah forest. The company’s rehabilitation record, water management practices and global decarbonisation narrative are her key talking points.

The view from the room

As the conversation at Optus Stadium wound down, McMillan asked what Elsabe hoped to leave as her legacy at Alcoa. Her answer was simple: “Our vision is to leave a legacy of excellence for future generations. If I can say at the end of my career that I’ve made a contribution to that, I’ll be proud.”

For Alcoa, that legacy may hinge on decisions made in the next few months. The approvals process is more than a regulatory hurdle; it is a referendum on whether one of WA’s oldest miners can continue to operate in the jarrah forest under modern expectations.

The outcome will shape not only Alcoa’s future in Western Australia but also the role of aluminium in the world’s decarbonisation journey.