Leonardo DiCaprio: Academy award winner calls out expansion of South 32’s Worsley mine in WA’s Jarrah Forest

A Hollywood superstar has joined the chorus of voices of those calling out the expansion of a South West mine site.

Academy award winner Leonardo DiCaprio took to social media yesterday to join those protesting the expansion of South 32’s Worsley alumina mine.

In a post shared to the celebrity’s Facebook and Instagram, DiCaprio attached a video of black cockatoos along with photos of the iconic bird and a cleared landscape.

“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 aluminium,” his post said.

“The mining company South32 is set to clear 9600 acres of this old growth forest, which is home to threatened species like the Critically Endangered Woylie.

“This operation will destroy critical habitat for over 8000 species, 80 per cent of which are found nowhere else on Earth.

“While native forest logging was banned in Western Australia in 2024, clearance of native forests for mining is still allowed due to separate government policies that prioritise mining development over environmental protection.”

DiCaprio’s post said the new approval brings South 32’s total area of clearing to more than 15,400ha and conservation groups Re:wild and WildArk stood to protect the “towering ecosystems”.

Late last month, protesters gathered outside South 32’s Perth headquarters calling for an end to forest mining expansion.

A South 32 spokesperson said the Worsley Mine Development Project would be undertaken in accordance with strict approval conditions that seek to avoid or minimise impacts to habitats of species, including the black cockatoo, to support their ongoing viability.

“Since our original proposal, we have significantly reduced the amount of native vegetation that will be cleared as part of the Project, to further avoid and minimise impacts to the environment,” they said.

“Within the areas that we have received approval to mine, protected areas and buffer zones will be implemented around known habitats of certain protected species and we will undertake, or have already undertaken, targeted flora and fauna surveys and monitoring as required by our approvals.

“In accordance with our approval conditions, we will progressively rehabilitate land we clear through our operations, helping to re-establish flora and fauna habitat. In addition, nearly 8,000 hectares of land will be set aside and restored to create additional habitat for species including the black cockatoo, as part of our total 12,300 hectare offsets package.”

The spokespersons the approved project will also have significant economic benefits to the South West and Peel regions, with Worsley Alumina being one of the largest employers in the region, which spent $217 million across local businesses in 2024 alone.