Mining giant Rio Tinto is contributing A$28 million to a five-year project aimed at preventing the spread of invasive cane toads into Western Australia's Pilbara region. The initiative, a collaboration with Curtin University and other partners, will establish a "toad containment zone" starting in 2027.
While not a direct threat to Rio Tinto's iron ore operations, the poisonous cane toad poses a significant risk to the native wildlife and ecosystem of the Pilbara. The toads, introduced to Australia in 1935 to control sugar cane beetles, produce toxins lethal to native animals. Their expansion threatens species such as the northern quoll, the goanna lizard, and the ghost bat.
The containment zone will involve constructing a barrier across 7,500 square kilometers of land situated between the Great Sandy Desert and the Indian Ocean. This measure aims to cut off the toads' access to vital water sources, particularly during drier months when they become reliant on artificial water points. In the Pilbara, this includes dams, storage tanks, and other ground-level water sources typically used for livestock and irrigation.
Roberta Hunter, a ranger with the Nyangumarta Warrarn Indigenous Protected Area, emphasized the importance of the effort, stating, "Cane toads destroy the water and animals. When toads come close to our country, we want to be there to stop them because we don't want the country to be destroyed."
This environmental project follows a period where Rio Tinto faced significant backlash for destroying two ancient Aboriginal rock shelters in the Pilbara. The company has since committed to rebuilding trust with Indigenous communities.