Protect Our Pits - Injidup Sanctuary

07/07/2026

Is this the future for Caves Road? 🛑

We hear a lot about "minimal impact" and "best practice" when new extractive industries are proposed for our region. But what does that look like in practice over the long term?

We’ve been speaking with allies in the South West who are living with the reality of an established limesand mine. Their experience is a stark warning of what the proposed Injidup extractive industry could mean for our community.

THE REALITY CHECK:

📍 Expansion Creep: What starts small often doesn’t stay that way. In one nearby instance, an approved disturbance footprint grew from 5.8 hectares to over 25 hectares.

⚖️ Regulatory Blind Spots: Under current mining legislation, many Mine Development Closure Proposals are not publicly advertised. Communities often only find out about approvals after they are granted, with no formal process for public submission or appeal.

🚚 Cumulative Impacts: The greatest burden isn't just the site itself—it’s the daily reality of heavy haulage: constant noise, road safety concerns, and the build-up of fine material (dust/sediment) on our public roads.

The photo below shows the state of a road used by a nearby extractive industry. This is not "minimal impact"—this is the cumulative reality that residents are left to deal with every day.

We deserve a planning process that is transparent, accountable, and protective of our local environment and our safety. We cannot afford to "wait and see."

30/06/2026

Big news, community! 📢

The City of Busselton has listened to the thousands of you who spoke up. Due to the record-breaking 2,350+ submissions, the proposed sand extraction at 2774 Caves Road has been referred to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) for assessment!

This is a huge milestone and a testament to what we can achieve when we stand together. This means the Development Assessment Panel (DAP) process is now officially on pause while the environmental impacts are scrutinised at a state level.

What’s next?

The EPA process will open for a 7-day public comment period soon. This is our next big chance to ensure the environmental significance of this site is fully understood. Stay tuned to this page—we will let you know the exact moment that comment window opens so we can keep this momentum rolling.

A massive thank you to local legend Christian Fletcher for the stunning imagery; nobody captures the beauty of our coastline quite like him.

If you haven’t already, do yourself a favour and check out his new exhibition, A Moment of Stillness, currently showing at the Saltwater Gallery in Busselton. It’s well worth a look.

Thank you for your ongoing support. Let’s keep protecting what we love. 🌊🌿

29/06/2026

Let’s support the crew that supports us! 🌊✊

The legends at Surfers for Climate are hosting a film night right here in Dunsborough, and it’s going to be a cracker. We’re heading down to check out Wild Waves Forever—a film about a perfect, hidden wave that’s way too good to destroy.

It’s just $10, it’s at the Dunsy, and there’s even a cold Gage Roads brew on the house. What’s not to love?

Check out all the details in image.png and grab your tickets here:
https://events.humanitix.com/wild-waves-forever-film-night-dunsborough

See you there! 🍻

23/06/2026

17/06/2026

A Historic Moment for Our Community: 2,000 Voices Strong!

We have just received news that approximately 2,000 formal submissions have been lodged with the City of Busselton regarding DA26/0209.

To everyone who took the time to read the proposal, research the impacts, and lodge a submission: Thank you.

This is not just a number. It is a powerful, democratic statement from our community. It shows that we are informed, we are engaged, and we are deeply committed to protecting the character, safety, and environment of our region.

What happens now?

The City of Busselton is now entering the "Assessment Phase." Planning officers are currently collating these 2,000 submissions to identify the key issues—from road safety and water security to cultural heritage and environmental impact—to include in their formal report to the JDAP.

Our focus remains clear:

We are continuing to prepare our presentation strategy to ensure that the panel hears the full, evidence-based case for why this proposal is fundamentally incompatible with the future of the Capes region.

We will keep you updated as soon as the JDAP meeting date is set and the official agenda is published.

Thank you for standing up for our home. We are stronger together.



📸 Stunning image captured by Christian Fletcher

15/06/2026

Injidup - not the spot for a sand mine…

13/06/2026

The submission deadline has passed, but our journey is just beginning. 📣

To every person who stood with us, signed the objection, and raised their voice—thank you. We have officially flooded the City of Busselton with our collective stance against DA26/0209.

What happens now?

Now that the window for public submissions has closed, the process moves into the assessment phase:

1. Consolidation: The City of Busselton will now collate all submissions received.

2. Reporting: Planning officers will review these objections against the policy framework to formulate their recommendation to the Joint Development Assessment Panel (JDAP).

3. The Decision: The JDAP will then meet to deliberate. This is where our formal arguments—grounded in infrastructure, environment, and planning policy—will be weighed.

How we’ll keep you informed
We know you are invested in this outcome, and we are committed to transparency. We will use this page to provide:

• Process Updates: We will share key dates as they are announced, including when the JDAP agenda is released and when the hearing is scheduled.

• Community Alerts: If there are further actions or moments where we need to stand together again, you will hear it here first.

• Advocacy Updates: We will continue to track how the City addresses the policy contradictions we’ve highlighted, particularly regarding road infrastructure and environmental protections.

The strength of this campaign lies in our numbers and our persistence.

Stay tuned, stay active, and thank you for being a vital part of protecting the future of our sanctuary.

12/06/2026

Only hours left! Get on it people 🫶

12/06/2026

Our voice is our power. And today, that voice is thunderous. 📣

As the clock ticks down toward the midnight deadline for DA26/0209, we are blown away by the solidarity shown to our community.

This was never just about a sand mine; it was about a collective refusal to accept the industrialisation of our most precious places.

We owe a debt of gratitude to the organisations and voices who amplified our cause:

• Bob Brown: For standing with us to protect the irreplaceable.

• Karri Karrak: For their steadfast guidance and advocacy.

• The Greens WA: For bringing this fight to the highest levels of government.

• MRBTA: For recognising the threat to our region’s integrity.

• Surfers for Climate: For heeding the call and recognising that defending the Ridge is a fight for the future of our oceans.

To the photographers—Christian Fletcher, Phil Hollett, Southwest Saltwater, Photogerson, and Dylan DeHaas—thank you for showing the world exactly what we are fighting to save. Your images have been our greatest weapon.

To the residents of Injidup, Yallingup, Busselton, the broader South West, Perth, and right across Australia—you have answered the call.

Whatever the outcome, we have shown that when our community stands as one, we are the strongest force in the Capes.

This is it—the final hours to have your say:

https://yoursay.busselton.wa.gov.au/da26-0209

📸 Another banger by Christian Fletcher