Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has hit back at Leonardo DiCaprio after the Hollywood star slammed the Australian government for approving a controversial mine expansion in Western Australia.
Here is DiCaprio’s post:
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DiCaprio Calls Out Government Over Environmental Impact
DiCaprio, known for his environmental activism, criticised the federal government’s approval of South32’s expansion of its Worsley Alumina bauxite mine. The project will clear up to 3,855 hectares of native vegetation in the Northern Jarrah Forests, home to critically endangered species.
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The actor voiced his concerns on Instagram, writing: “The Australian government has approved deforestation within the Jarrah Forest of Western Australia, clearing the way for the mining of bauxite, the main ingredient in aluminum (sic).”
He also stated that the project would “destroy critical habitat for over 8,000 species, 80% of which are found nowhere else on Earth.”
DiCaprio highlighted that while Western Australia banned native forest logging in 2024, clearing for mining remains legal. “This new approval is in addition to South32’s previous deforestation, bringing the total area of Jarrah Forests cleared to over 38,000 acres,” he added.
Albanese Dismisses Actor’s Concerns
Albanese responded sharply when asked about DiCaprio’s post at a press conference in Perth.
“If Leonardo DiCaprio knows where a bauxite mine is in Western Australia, I’d be very surprised,” the Prime Minister said.
He also brushed off the actor’s activism, joking that his opinion on DiCaprio depends on the movie.
Figure 1: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that he (DiCaprio) would be “very surprised” to learn the location of a bauxite mine in WA. Picture: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard
South32 Defends the Mine Expansion
Mining giant South32 rejected DiCaprio’s claims, arguing that his post “contains factual errors.” A company spokesperson stated that “the mining company’s proposal did not include the clearing of old growth forest.”
They added that “the WA Environment Minister’s Ministerial Statement explicitly states that old growth forest is not to be disturbed by our proposal.”
South32 also emphasised that the mine expansion would be carried out under strict environmental conditions. “Since our original proposal, we have significantly reduced the amount of native vegetation that will be cleared,” the spokesperson said.
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The company plans to rehabilitate cleared land and set aside nearly 8,000 hectares for conservation. “The approved project will enable access to bauxite to sustain production at Worsley Alumina, allowing our significant contribution to the South West and Peel regions to continue,” South32 stated.
Environmentalists Feel Betrayed
Mereana Lewis, co-founder of Locals for Environmental Action and Protection (LEAP), said her group felt “devastated” by the federal government’s decision.
“We did put our trust in Minister Plibersek,” she told the national broadcaster. “We had so much information which we gave to the ministry, and we feel that no-one has taken any notice of our concern.”
The WA government defended the approval, stating that the decision followed the Environmental Protection Agency’s advice. A spokesperson said: “It’s a fact that the Cook Labor government has done more to protect WA’s environment than any other government in our state’s history.”
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They pointed to the state’s 2024 ban on native forest logging, which protects nearly two million hectares of karri, jarrah, and wandoo forests.
Not DiCaprio’s First Environmental Battle in Australia
DiCaprio has previously criticised Australia’s environmental policies. Last year, he highlighted claims that the National Greenhouse Accounts (NGA) under-reported deforestation in Queensland, mainly from the beef industry.
In 2014, he slammed the Australian government for failing to protect the Great Barrier Reef. “What once had looked like an endless underwater utopia is now riddled with bleached coral reefs and massive dead zones,” he said at a Washington, DC, event.
Tasmanian MP Felix Ellis dismissed DiCaprio’s latest comments, saying the actor “should stick to acting.”
Meanwhile, Nationals Senator Matt Canavan laughed off DiCaprio’s concerns. “Do you reckon Leonardo DiCaprio has spent much time thinking about the gas fields of Western Australia?” he said.
Canavan even suggested Hollywood stars may be helping fossil fuel companies. “Sometimes I actually think maybe it’s the oil and gas industry that actually pay these Hollywood stars to do this because I actually think it undermines their case massively,” he said.
WA Mine Expansion Debate Far From Over
The Worsley Alumina mine expansion has reignited tensions between environmentalists and the mining sector. While the government insists it is balancing economic and environmental interests, critics argue that native ecosystems are at risk.
Albanese has made it clear he is not taking DiCaprio’s criticism seriously. But with global attention on Australia’s environmental policies, the debate over mining’s impact on native forests is unlikely to fade anytime soon.
