Rio Tinto is investing A$28mn ($20mn) to create a "kill zone" across a 40km by 400km stretch between the Indian Ocean and Great Sandy Desert in Western Australia to stop cane toads from reaching the iron ore-rich Pilbara region. The invasive species threatens unique biodiversity including reptiles, ghost bats, quolls and little red kalutas, which could increase compliance costs for future mining projects.
Marine biologist Tim Dempster from Deakin University warns that environmental compliance costs could rise significantly without intervention. The toads, numbering in the hundreds of millions, are projected to reach Broome within two years and the Pilbara by 2045. The containment strategy involves making 200 water sources used by cattle farmers toad-proof, creating a waterless barrier akin to a "firebreak," according to population biologist Ben Phillips at Curtin University.
Rio's Chris Osborn says 25 native species face significant threat. The project follows the company's 2020 Juukan Gorge controversy, where caves sacred to the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people were destroyed. Cane toads also endanger Indigenous "bush tucker" like goannas. The partnership with academics, farmers and local communities could provide a model for invasive species management nationwide.
Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing