Mining Impacts on Hiking in the Darling Range

HikeWest has released a position paper on the impacts of extensive bauxite mining in the Darling Range on hiking near Perth.

Key points:

• Extensive bauxite mining in the Darling Range, near Perth, is impacting current and future bushwalking areas and new trails opportunities.
• State policies currently fail to protect and facilitate multiple-use forest management values and activities such as bushwalking and new trails development.
• Population growth is driving increasing demand for community access to natural environments near the city, especially for the highly popular activities of bushwalking and trail running
• The popularity and accessibility of bushwalking and trail running means they have the potential to sustain the health and wellbeing of a wide sector of the community, reducing escalating health costs to the state through the prevention of chronic lifestyle diseases such as obesity and diabetes, and mental health issues.

HikeWest recognises the high value of the mining industry to the state and community of WA; however, the state forests are intended to be multiple-use and the Northern Jarrah Forest region has potential contribute substantially to the future environmental and social needs, and good health and wellbeing of the growing Perth community, including through hiking activity, new trails and tourism.

HikeWest will:

1. Continue to foster public awareness of the mining impacts.
2. Advocate for recognition of the preventive health contribution that hiking can make.
3. Advocate for state government policies to protect and facilitate multiple-use forest management.
4. Advocate for greater transparency of current mining operations and proposed expansions so that social and environmental impacts can be properly assessed.
5. Seek to ensure that adverse impacts of mining on current and potential trails and walk areas near Perth are avoided.
6. Advocate for a full, lease-wide cost-benefit assessment across the full projected lives of mining leases.
7. Urge State Government to apply the ‘Precautionary Principle’ when considering mining proposals and expansions in the Darling Range, just as it is applied in water source protection policy.

Read the full position statement here.