A Voice For Nature

25/07/2025

BirdLife Western Australia has shone a spotlight on a devastating decision by the WA Government...
The WA Government has rejected expert advice to list the Baudin’s Black Cockatoo as Critically Endangered despite clear scientific evidence showing a 90% population decline.

There are as few as 2500 to 4000 Baudin's remaining.

This decision undermines conservation efforts by blocking stronger legal protections that would be triggered by a Critically Endangered listing.

Article: https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/fears-for-shadow-species-slipping-into-the-dark-as-cockatoo-conservation-bid-rejected-20250722-p5mgv2.html

Read more: https://birdlife.org.au/news/press-release-wa-government-rejects-expert-advice-to-list-baudins-black-cockatoo-as-critically-endangered/

22 / 07 / 2025 PERTH WA – The WA Government has rejected a science-backed nomination to upgrade the conservation status of Baudin’s Black-Cockatoo from Endangered to Critically Endangered – despite overwhelming evidence that the species is in freefall.

22/07/2025

It was a pleasure to host a community conversation on active hope after a deeply moving performance of 'Bruised', a theatre show which explores how we adapt to change and where we find hope in an uncertain world impacted by climate change.

We are grateful to work alongside passionate nature and climate advocates such as Milly and Lindall at BirdLife Western Australia and Jordan at Australian Youth Climate Coalition WA.

'Bruised' is showing until this Saturday, 26 July. Check out Follow That Cat Productions for more info!

30/06/2025

Join thousands of West Australians who are standing up for the Jarrah Forests.

In 1975, Beth Schultz helped launch one of WA’s earliest forest campaigns, taking a stand against Alcoa’s destruction of jarrah forests. Thank you to Jack Maddern and POST Newspapers for sharing this powerful story.

This is the first time in the 60 years that Alcoa has operated in the jarrah forests that the public has been invited to comment on the project. Already, they are showing up in their thousands to say no to clearing 11,500 hectares of precious Northern Jarrah Forest.

You still have time to join this fight:

➡️ Hear from experts, locals, and First Nations voices at Lesser Hall at the Pinjarra Civic Centre tonight - Monday, 30 June from 6-8pm.
➡️ Make a submission during the public comment period before 21 August and help protect WA’s forests for good.

🔗 Pinjarra Town Hall: endforestmining.org.au/town-halls-2025
🔗 Sign on to the WA Forest Alliance submission: endforestmining.org.au/alcoa

27/06/2025

It's clear the government has not yet understood the crisis our environment faces and its importance to our wellbeing.

Conservation Council of WA Executive Director Matt Roberts said a damning report, released yesterday, proved yet again that we need stronger protections for nature if we are going to halt and reverse the biodiversity crisis in WA.

WA has not published a State of the Environment Report since 2007.

The last Biodiversity Audit was in 2015.

We can’t pretend there isn’t a significant risk of extinction and ecological collapse by refusing to take account of the problem at hand.

We need laws that deliver real protection for threatened species and ecological communities across WA.

Read more here: https://www.ccwa.org.au/oagaudit_tecs
Article here: https://www.smh.com.au/national/western-australia/the-state-made-new-laws-to-protect-wa-nature-then-it-forgot-something-20250627-p5mau9.html

The agency protecting the state’s famed but threatened ecosystems is not only not protecting most of them, but has been given no resources to do so.

27/06/2025

This damning report proves yet again that we need stronger protections for nature if we are going to halt and reverse the biodiversity crisis in Western Australia.

The 'Conservation of Threatened Ecological Communities' report by the Auditor General, that assess the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions’ management of Threatened Ecological Communities (TECs) confirms that the government is not prioritising environmental monitoring and compliance and is not resourcing environmental agencies to be effective in protecting WA’s unique environment.

“It’s a great concern that escalates every year, that our TECs are not being effectively managed.

Conservation Council of WA strongly urge the Government to elevate the environment on their priorities for this term of government.

The full and proper resourcing of our environment departments is critical to putting the proper protections in place and to effectively enforce environmental conditions.

We are calling on the state government to urgently review and strengthen the Biodiversity Conservation Act – an overdue, mandated review that could be a turning point for nature in WA.

We need laws that deliver real protection for threatened species and ecological communities across WA.

To prevent further extinctions, the WA Government needs to fund and implement Recovery Plans for all threatened species and ecological communities, including the strongest possible protections for critical habitat.

This should form part of an ambitious strategy to protect and restore biodiversity in WA, in line with Australia’s commitment to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,” CCWA Executive Director Matt Roberts has said.

Read more here: https://www.ccwa.org.au/oagaudit_tecs

26/06/2025

Support the fight to protect WA’s native forests.

Protect Western Australia's nature with a tax-deductible donation: ccwa.org.au/donate_once (link in bio)

18/06/2025

Conservation Council of WA is appealing the WA Environmental Protection Authority’s (EPA) recommendation to approve the Gnarabup Resort, alongside local group Gnarabup.

This much-loved and iconic headland off WA’s South West coastline, just near Margaret River, holds incredibly important ecological values and West Australians want to see pristine coastline like this protected.

Statewide, we need stronger protections in place to avoid the clearing of native vegetation that forms habitat for significant fauna, including critically endangered Western Ringtail Possums, endangered Carnaby’s Cockatoos and other species.

These plans are inconsistent with the DCCEEW Recovery Plans for both Western Ringtail Possums and Carnaby Cockatoos in failing to address habitat loss and fragmentation as significant threatening processes.

CCWA stands alongside Preserve Gnarabup and the local community in calling on Minister Swinbourn to put a halt to this inappropriate development.

Ultimately, it poses unacceptable impacts and risks to the environment.

Tom Dowling of local campaign group Gnarabup has said, "Along with the Western Ringtail Possums, Carnaby’s Cockatoos and Hooded Plovers, our community and people from around the State who love to visit Gnarabup will pay the cost of this overscale development.

This area is the one safe and protected swimming beach on the Margaret River coast and is at capacity for human use without impacting the wildlife that breeds and forages here."

Continue reading: https://www.ccwa.org.au/gnarabupresortappeal

18/06/2025

Bauxite mining company Alcoa is looking to massive expand its operations, with plans to clear 11,500ha of the Northern Jarrah Forest in one of the biggest and most controversial land clearing decision ever made in WA!

Join a panel of experts & concerned locals to learn about the threats of bauxite mining on the Darling Range at the first of the Town Hall Series in Pinjarra, Monday June 30th.

Please arrive at 5:45pm for a 6:00pm start.

Save your seat: endforestmining.org.au/town-halls-2025/
Sign on to the Forest Alliance submission: endforestmining.org.au/alcoa/

13/06/2025

This is an important moment for you to support local campaign the Banksia Road Sand Mines. http://tinyurl.com/stopbanksiasandmines

The campaign, led by local residents, has just launched a Parliamentary petition with a goal of 2,000 signatures.

At last count there were 981 signatures.

The Oldbury and Wellard community, along with environmental groups like Council of WA, joined together last month at a rally advocating against the proposed sand mine.

The sand mine threatens endangered Banksia Woodlands and the Black Cockatoos that rely on this precious habitat.

The recent community rally showed strong public opposition to the clearing of the Banksia Woodlands—but we need more people, like you, to take action now.

Sign and share the petition http://tinyurl.com/stopbanksiasandmines

The petition closes in two weeks, on 26 June 2025.

When you sign this petition you are helping to protect nature and showing locals in Oldbury/Wellard (and politicians) that this patch of bushland matters.

____

Note: As this is an official Parliamentary Petition, the process takes a couple of steps.

To sign, you must be a Western Australian resident/citizen and provide your first name, last name, address, postcode, and email. After entering your details:
1. Check your email for a verification code
2. Enter the code on the petition page
3. Confirm your details are correct
4. Click Submit

Here's the link: http://tinyurl.com/stopbanksiasandmines

04/06/2025

This is what standing together for WA nature looks like. When local community groups like Stop the Banksia Road Sand Mines stand alongside broader alliances such as End Forest Mining (and vic-versa) something powerful happens.

It’s easy to feel isolated when you’re campaigning furiously to protect a patch of bushland, save your local park, save a reef, save a species, or fight off yet another threat.

But the truth is, we’re part of something bigger—a continually growing movement of people across Western Australia who are rising up to defend nature.

Because we love this place.

And we know we’re not separate from nature—we’re part of it.

At Conservation Council of WA, we see this.

Every campaign, every petition, every submission—it all adds up.

Yes, the fight can feel relentless. But every action you decide to share and support helps build the momentum we need for real, lasting change.

It was inspiring to see such strong solidarity from so many groups at the Big Jarrah Rally.

So while you’re still here reading, and if you've already added your voice to the Alcoa EPA public comment period endforestmining.org.au/alcoa, can you help one local campaign at a critical moment?

Speak up to stop sand mining at Oldbury’s precious Banksia woodlands. We're aiming for 1,000 signatures, and we’ve got less than four weeks to get there. Sign and share the petition here https://tinyurl.com/stopbanksiasandmines

Together, we are A Voice For Nature.

P.S. Right now, we’re working with groups across the state to piece together a Protection Agenda for Nature. You can take a look at the draft here www.ccwa.org.au/aprotectionagendafornature

04/06/2025

Alcoa just took out an ad in The West Australian claiming that “rehabilitation works.” Let’s be clear...
😞 This ad is misleading
😟 This ad is spin
😡 This ad is greenwashing.

Alcoa needs to honest with the WA public.

For six decades, Alcoa has mined the world’s only Jarrah forest.

And in all that time?

Not one hectare of forest has been signed off by the WA Government as successfully rehabilitated.

There is no evidence these forests can be restored.

Not when the very soil it evolved on has been stripped out.

Mining removes the very bauxitic substrate on which the Jarrah forest ecosystem has evolved. Take this away and a Jarrah forest cannot be returned to full functioning ecosystem.

After 60 years of trying, Alcoa still hasn’t done it.

In your submission endforestmining.org.au/alcoa to the WA EPA on Alcoa's plans, consider making a comment on the failure of Alcoa’s rehabilitation efforts across the South West.

Read the real facts by the Forest Alliancehttps://wafa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/EFM-A4-Fact-Sheet_Rehab_260325.pdf

We need to protect what’s left—once it's gone it's gone.

Forest Mining—Add your voice endforestmining.org.au/alcoa

03/06/2025

WHAT A TURN OUT! A huge day at the Big Jarrah Rally in Boorloo/Perth.
2000 people marched on Parliament in the rain yesterday to protect our beloved Northern Jarrah Forests and call for and end to forest mining.

Right now Alcoa's massive land clearing project is open for public comment and we want to hear from you! Click the link to add your name and have your say. https://endforestmining.org.au/alcoa/
Thanks to our wonderful speakers Daniel Garlett, Jess Boyce, Ricky England, Jess Beckerling and Giz Watson, and to the epic musicians Amber Fresh and Nick Allbrook.
Together we can