Documents Regarding Statement Of Reasons For Granting An Exemption Under EPBC Act.

Written by Claude Haiku 4.5 from the extracted text on 10 Jul 2026. It can miss or misread redacted and scanned pages. Check the source before relying on it.

This disclosure contains a Section 158 EPBC Act decision granting an exemption for Alcoa of Australia Limited, dated 18 February 2026. The exemption relates to continuity of operations at Alcoa's facilities, primarily in Western Australia where bauxite ore processing occurs. The decision document emphasizes economic benefits: maintaining approximately 6,000 jobs (90% in Western Australia) and enabling a joint venture gallium refinery at Wagerup projected to produce 100 metric tonnes annually—representing approximately 10% of global gallium supply. The exemption decision was cleared by Paula Svarcas (Head of Division, ERD) on 12 February 2026. Attachments include a national interest exemption request, ASX news coverage of US-Australia investment deals affecting materials stocks, and technical references including gallium production data and Portland Smelter information. Specific environmental impact details, scientific advice, or any tension between departmental recommendations and the ministerial decision are not visible in these excerpts.