Wagerup, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Wagerup is a town located in the Peel region of Western Australia
just off the South Western Highway
, between Waroona
(12 km to the north) and Harvey
.
name meaning "the place of the emu" (waitch), and was applied to a brook in the area. The same spelling was used when the railway station opened in 1896. However, by 1899, when the townsite was gazetted, the current spelling had been adopted (according to local legend, the man who painted the sign for the railway station misspelt the name).
In the mid 1970s serious community concern about impending mining in jarrah
forests saw considerable protests about the construction of the Wagerup refinery. The Campaign to Save Native Forests
and South West Forests Defence Foundation
challenged the planned mining venture, and the conditions under which Alcoa was to be mining.
have operated an alumina refinery in Wagerup since 1984. For years, residents and Alcoa workers have reported illnesses such as respiratory irritation, frequent blood noses, headaches, nausea and higher rates of cancer, as reported in numerous media outlets including the ABC
's Four Corners program, although no formal causal link has ever been established. In September 2006, Alcoa obtained permission from the Western Australian government to expand the size of the refinery to become the biggest such refinery in the world, with production capacity increased from 2.6 million tonnes per year to around 4.7 million tonnes per year, although very strict conditions have been imposed on the expansion by the Health and Environment departments. Residents in nearby Yarloop
subsequently announced plans to fight the decision in the Supreme Court.
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
just off the South Western Highway
South Western Highway
South Western Highway is a highway in the South West region of Western Australia connecting Perth's southeast with Walpole. It is a part of the National Highway 1 network for most of its length...
, between Waroona
Waroona, Western Australia
Waroona is a town located in the Peel region of Western Australia along the South Western Highway, between Pinjarra and Harvey. The town is the seat of the Shire of Waroona. At the 2006 census, Waroona had a population of 1,864.-History:...
(12 km to the north) and Harvey
Harvey, Western Australia
Harvey is a town located in the South West of Western Australia along the South Western Highway, 140 km south of Perth, between Pinjarra and Bunbury...
.
History
The town's name was initially spelt Waigerup or Waigeerup, derived from an AboriginalIndigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
name meaning "the place of the emu" (waitch), and was applied to a brook in the area. The same spelling was used when the railway station opened in 1896. However, by 1899, when the townsite was gazetted, the current spelling had been adopted (according to local legend, the man who painted the sign for the railway station misspelt the name).
In the mid 1970s serious community concern about impending mining in jarrah
Jarrah
Eucalyptus marginata is one of the most common species of Eucalyptus tree in the southwest of Western Australia. The tree and the wood are usually referred to by the Aboriginal name Jarrah...
forests saw considerable protests about the construction of the Wagerup refinery. The Campaign to Save Native Forests
Campaign to Save Native Forests
The Campaign to Save Native Forests was the name of a grassroots organisation which grew from a campaign started in Perth, Western Australia, in 1975, as a response to the development of a woodchipping industry in the south-west Jarrah and Karri forests of Western Australia...
and South West Forests Defence Foundation
South West Forests Defence Foundation
South West Forests Defence Foundation is a group that has been involved with three decades of involvement with the conservation of the Jarrah and Karri forests of the South West region of Western Australia....
challenged the planned mining venture, and the conditions under which Alcoa was to be mining.
Present day
AlcoaAlcoa
Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
have operated an alumina refinery in Wagerup since 1984. For years, residents and Alcoa workers have reported illnesses such as respiratory irritation, frequent blood noses, headaches, nausea and higher rates of cancer, as reported in numerous media outlets including the ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
's Four Corners program, although no formal causal link has ever been established. In September 2006, Alcoa obtained permission from the Western Australian government to expand the size of the refinery to become the biggest such refinery in the world, with production capacity increased from 2.6 million tonnes per year to around 4.7 million tonnes per year, although very strict conditions have been imposed on the expansion by the Health and Environment departments. Residents in nearby Yarloop
Yarloop, Western Australia
Yarloop is a town located in the South West of Western Australia along the South Western Highway, between Waroona and Harvey. At the 2006 census, Yarloop had a population of 545.-History:...
subsequently announced plans to fight the decision in the Supreme Court.
Further reading
- Hunte, H.E. (chair) (1978) Report by the Steering Committee on Research into the Effects of Bauxite Mining on the Water Resources of the Darling Range, September 1978. Perth, WA: Dept. of Industrial Development, Western Australia, ISBN 0724478418
- Lines, William J. (2006) Patriots: defending Australia's natural heritage St Lucia, Qld: University of Queensland Press. ISBN 0-70223-554-7
- Working Groups of Technical Review Committee to Hunt Steering Committee and Kelsal Steering Committee. (1976) Research into the effects of bauxite mining in the Darling Range. Research into the effects of woodchipping in the Manjimup area, reports of Working Groups of Technical Review Committee to Hunt Steering Committee and Kelsall Steering Committee, Perth, WA: Dept. of Conservation & Environment.