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Volunteers keep WA trail in top shape  A team from Alcoa Australia’s (ASX: AAI) Willowdale bauxite mine recently lent a hand to refresh a section of the iconic Munda Biddi Trail in WA. Stretching more than 1060km from Mundaring to Albany, the Munda Biddi is a world-class long-distance off-road cycling trail.  Senior community relations advisor Scott Hansen says Alcoa Australia has proudly supported the Munda Biddi Trail Foundation (MBTF) for 25 years through funding and employee volunteering. “Alcoa has a long-running partnership with the foundation, a not-for-profit association which supports the maintenance and promotion of the trail,” he said. Recently, employees rolled up their sleeves to clean up a section of the trail near the northern part of Alcoa Australia’s Willowdale Larego mine area. Their efforts included branch trimming, raking and blower vaccing to ensure the trail remains safe and accessible for riders. “Our employees are proud to help maintain this popular trail,” Mr Hansen said.“It’s a great way to give back to the community and keep the trail safe and functional for cyclists.” Alcoa Australia’s involvement with the trail dates back to its planning in 2000, when the company worked with the foundation to determine a safe, practical and enjoyable route and provide on-the-ground help to make the trail a reality.Since then, Alcoa Australia has continued to consider the trail through mine planning processes, including the recent expansion of a Mining Avoidance Zone (MAZ) around Dwellingup. The expanded MAZ is adjacent to several designated conservation areas and includes recreational tracks and trails, including sections of the Munda Biddi Trail, Bibbulmun Track and Nyingarn Bidi Loop. If future mine planning indicates any interactions with the trail, Mr Hansen says Alcoa consults with the MBTF and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions to discuss options that ensure access is not restricted.Past consultation has resulted in Alcoa Australia building dedicated infrastructure such as tunnels and bridges to provide safe, continuous access for riders through operating mine regions. “Our overarching principle is to maintain continuous access for trail users and we want to ensure this world-class trail remains available for generations to come,” Mr Hansen said.MBTF executive officer Therese Logue says the trail’s ongoing success is founded on strong collaboration across both community and corporate sectors, including a longstanding 25-year partnership with Alcoa Australia. “The continued support of Alcoa extends beyond industry operations, with staff actively contributing their time and skills,” she said. “Their hands-on involvement builds a sense of stewardship, directly helping to preserve this iconic trail. “Through partnerships like these, the trail will continue to flourish, and the provision of vital resources help the foundation empower its volunteers to enhance and maintain a high-quality trail experience for all riders.”  

Rehabilitation at Ranger uranium mine continues The Federal Government has issued a new rehabilitation authority to Energy Resources Australia (ERA) to continue rehabilitation activities at Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory. The authority will allow ERA, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO), to progress a staged rehabilitation strategy that focuses upon adherence to objectives as stated in the authorisation to operate to allow the site to be returned to the Mirarr Traditional Owners. This strategy will be achieved through the application of best practice and the use of technology within a risk-based framework. ERA’s long-term vision is to return the disturbed area to a viable ecosystem in line with its obligations to its stakeholders and regulators and the expectations of the community. Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King comments on the authority. “This new authority means that ERA will be able to continue with its obligation to restore Ranger uranium mine to a condition similar to the surrounding Kakadu National Park,” she said. Mirrar Traditional Owners have worked closely with the Northern Land Council and ERA on a new land access agreement. Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy approved the agreement under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act (Northern Territory). “I thank the Mirarr Traditional Owners, Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation, Northern Land Council, ERA and Rio Tinto for their collaborative efforts in establishing this new authority and land access agreement,” she said. “We want to see rehabilitation completed and for the land to be returned to the Mirarr Traditional Owners.” Rehabilitation and closure planning began soon after the Ranger mine began producing uranium oxide in 1981.  Operations at Ranger ceased after ERA failed to secure permission from the Mirarr Traditional Owners and the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation to continue mining the sire.  ERA increased its estimated rehabilitation provision to $830m in 2019, a major increase from the $526m estimate recorded in 2017. 

WA Government supports renewables growth Ngarluma Aboriginal Corporation (NAC) are collaborating with Perdaman and the WA Government to establish a 50MW solar farm at the Ngarluma green energy park on NAC's native title determination south of Karratha.The WA Government will provide $2.7m in initial support to NAC to undertake surveys, approvals works and technical activities over the next 12 months that will lead to the activation of the first park.The Burrup (Murujuga) corridor is one of four priority corridors under the WA Government's Pilbara energy transition plan to accelerate the decarbonisation of heavy industry in the region by connecting industry with renewable energy generation.Ngarluma Country includes the coastal towns Karratha, Roebourne, Wickham, Point Samson and out to Whim Creek and is home of much of the Pilbara's industry including Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO), Dampier Salt, Woodside, Yara and Perdaman.NAC is targeting 5GW of development in its green energy parks while also creating employment, training and long-term income for the Ngarluma people.WA Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson says creating jobs through the Pilbara energy transition plan is a key part to making WA a renewable energy powerhouse."Supporting NAC and Perdaman in this landmark partnership is another step in decarbonising the Pilbara and realising the considerable benefits of the region's renewable energy resources,” she said.The solar farm will feed into the common-use Maitland-Karratha-Burrup transmission corridor and aid the activation of the Maitland strategic industrial area.NAC and Ngarluma green energy director Belinda Churnside says the Ngarluma people are proud to be leaders in the development of the energy transition.“Ngarluma green energy parks will be a game changer for the fast and straight forward development of large-scale renewable projects,” she said.The green energy park is expected to be activated through the connection of the solar farm to Perdaman's project Ceres urea plant by mid-end of 2027.Drive to make WA renewable energy powerhouse continues with Warradarge wind farm expansion, with four of 30 additional turbines being erected at the site.Once completed, the expanded Warradarge wind farm will provide up to 283MW of clean energy — enough to power approximately about households — making it WA's largest wind farm both by capacity and energy generated.The expansion is part of the WA Government’s goal to exit from state-owned coal-fired power by 2030."Wind turbines going up as part of the expansion is our renewable energy transformation taking shape, delivering jobs, economic diversification and clean energy,” Minister Sanderson said." will deliver more renewable energy for households and businesses, while work to expand the South West Interconnected System (SWIS) transmission grid will unlock more renewable energy from the mid-west."

Autonomous copper refining at Olympic Dam BHP (ASX: BHP) is driving safety in copper refining at its Olympic Dam refinery in South Australia with a fully enclosed and automated robotic cathode stripping machine.Cathode stripping is a crucial step in the copper refining process, involving the removal of thin sheets of nearly pure copper (known as cathode) from large metal plates after refining.BHP’s original cathode stripping machine required frequent manual intervention, exposing operators to potential hazards including crush injuries, line-of-fire incidents and physical strain. Beyond safety concerns, the physically demanding nature of the work also limited participation, hampering efforts to build a more inclusive workforce.To address these challenges, a team of frontline workers and engineers from the refinery collaborated with project partners to develop and implement a safer and more inclusive approach.The team developed a fully enclosed and automated robotic cathode stripping machine, which uses precision automation to strip and process cathodes autonomously, to eliminate operator exposure to potential hazardous conditions — improving equipment reliability and reducing downtime caused by copper jams.Introducing an automated solution has also expanded the pool of candidates for operator roles, contributing to making Olympic Dam operations more inclusive, with women being strongly represented among qualified operators.The project won the Safety, Security and Emergency Management category at BHP’s 2025 Health, Safety, Environment and Community Awards for its reflection of the company’s culture of continuous improvement and collaboration — where frontline teams, engineers and partners come together to deliver solutions that make a tangible difference to how the company operates.