Controversial Ravensthorpe Lithium Project rejected

Endangered cockatoo habitat protected, as controversial Ravensthorpe Lithium Project rejected

Endangered Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoos in the ancient Salmon Gum woodlands of Cocanarup, WA, have seen their future renewed, after the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety rejected a proposed lithium mine at Cocanarup Timber Reserve.

Dr Sam Rycken, a BirdLife Australia ecologist working on endemic WA Black-Cockatoos, has worked closely with local grassroots advocates from BirdLife Australia and the wider Cocanarup Conservation Alliance over the last 18 months to build a clear, science-backed message: it is clearly inappropriate to destroy one of the most important Carnaby’s breeding sites left on Earth.

He further explains why we had to win this campaign: “Our endemic Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoos, are an iconic part of the West Australian environment. But their future will only be secure if we protect and restore the habitat they need to survive. This is not just true for the ancient trees that provide nesting hollows for breeding cockatoos, but also for foraging habitat which provides food for the breeding pairs and the young birds after they fledge. This is why protecting Cocanarup Timber Reserve in its entirety is a huge win for this remarkable species, and why we must strive for the ongoing preservation of the area!”  

But we should never have needed to fight to save such precious habitat.  

With so many threatened birds breeding at Cocanarup, Australia’s nature laws should have stopped a proposal like this immediately. This is why we need strong nature laws that actually protect the birds and places we love.

“Our endemic Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoos, are an iconic part of the West Australian environment. But their future will only be secure if we protect and restore the habitat they need to survive”

BirdLife Australia will continue to work with the Government to ensure that Australia’s broken nature laws are fixed as a matter of urgency, so that we can build a brighter future for our birds and their environment.

We can’t afford to miss this once-in-a-generation opportunity. Join our campaign calling for the Federal Government to fix our broken nature laws and save our threatened birds from extinction.