Forests Found Nowhere Else on Earth
The Jarrah forests stretch across Noongar Country in south-west Western Australia. For more than 45,000 years, Noongar peoples—including the Amangu, Ballardong, Yued, Kaneang, Koreng, Mineng, Njakinjaki, Njunga, Pibelmen, Pindjarup, Wardandi, Whadjuk, Wiilman and Wudjari—have cared for these forests and maintained deep cultural connections to Country. The forests are globally significant for biodiversity. Around 80% of the plants and animals found there occur nowhere else on Earth. The region supports more than 8,000 species of wildflowers, 300 orchid species, 60 varieties of banksia, mainland quokkas and all three species of south-west black cockatoos. The ancient Jarrah forests have evolved over millions of years, creating ecosystems found nowhere else on the planet.
Logging and Mining Threats
In 1992, the Western Australian Government released plans to dramatically increase logging across the state’s native forests, particularly within the Jarrah region. The proposal triggered major public opposition and became the catalyst for a long-running forest protection campaign. Over time, industrial logging became increasingly controversial as evidence mounted about the ecological significance of the forests and the impacts of fragmentation and habitat destruction. In September 2021, the McGowan Government announced that native forest logging in Western Australia would end by January 2024. The announcement marked a major conservation victory after decades of campaigning. However, logging was not the only threat facing the forests. Large-scale bauxite mining for aluminium production continued across the region, with companies including Alcoa and South32 applying to clear extensive areas of native forest.
The Campaign
The Wilderness Society worked closely with the Western Australian Forest Alliance and the Conservation Council of Western Australia throughout the campaign. In May 2022, the organisations jointly released the report A Thousand Cuts, warning that much of the forest between Collie and Armadale could be fragmented or destroyed by 2060 without stronger protections. Campaigners also worked alongside Noongar communities and local residents in towns including Dwellingup and Karridale. Public mobilisation continued to grow. In June 2025, nearly 2,000 people marched through Perth during the Big Jarrah Rally, calling for an end to forest mining and stronger protection for black cockatoos and other wildlife. Then in September 2025, a record 59,000 public submissions were lodged with the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority opposing Alcoa’s proposal to clear another 11,500 hectares of Northern Jarrah forest. Despite the opposition, in February 2026 the Federal Government reached an agreement allowing Alcoa to continue clearing sections of the Northern Jarrah Forest.
Legacy
The WA Jarrah campaign has become one of Australia’s defining modern forest movements. It helped secure the end of native forest logging in Western Australia while continuing to spotlight the ongoing impacts of mining on ancient ecosystems. The campaign also strengthened alliances between environmental organisations, local communities and Noongar Traditional Owners advocating for the long-term future of the forests. As Adele Chasson said:
“No amount of offsets or half-hearted rehabilitation can make up for this abhorrent level of destruction. The future of this globally significant ecosystem is at stake.” And Daniel Garlett reflected:
“Without the trees, I’m lost as a human being. I wouldn’t know what to do; where to go. I live in the forest.”