Media Release – Bob Brown Foundation, 22 February 2026
Tarkine Rainforest Saved?
After large and long protests against MMG’s plan for an acid waste dump at McKimmie Creek in the Takayna (Tarkine) rainforest, the company has applied for an alternate site outside Takayna. The Bob Brown Foundation, through non-violent direct and legal actions, have defended and protected this pristine ancient rainforest against MMG machines since 2021, and forced the company to change their plans. MMG and the federal Minister for the Environment, Murray Watt should withdraw their proposal for drilling at the McKimmie Creek site.
“MMG’s application to the state and federal governments for approval of a new acid waste dump site at Exe Creek, outside Takayna, is recognition that the McKimmie Creek site is dead in the water.
BBF’s blockades of MMG machinery there drew more than 2,000 forest defenders and led to more than 100 arrests since 2021. Further attempts to bulldoze the forest would have triggered even bigger protests. We’re calling on the Albanese government to have the McKimmie Creek rainforest and the whole of Takayna nominated for the World Heritage status that its natural and Aboriginal heritage requires,” said Bob Brown.
“Our foundation has advocated for MMG to use paste-fill technology on their own mine site for their mine waste, this would be the best option by far. The company should be required to manage their waste on their mine site. MMG, a state-owned Chinese company, always had several less environmentally-damaging options outside Takayna but state and federal governments failed to require it to take up those options.
Additionally, MMG could pipe its waste to the new facility at the nearby Renison mine which has the capacity to easily take the waste from both mines without added environmental loss. Renison has agreed to take MMG’s waste and this would prevent a new tailings waste dump,” said Jenny Weber, Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaigns Director.
“Because it involves native forest destruction, we will oppose the Exe Creek alternative but not blockade it because it is outside Takayna, since our efforts will concentrate on defending Takayna from more logging and mining incursions,” said Jenny Weber.
Media Release – Tabatha Badger MP, Greens mining spokesperson, 22 February 2026
Takayna Possibly Safe from Toxic Tailings
The Greens welcome the news that MMG have lodged an EPBC referral for an alternative tailing site to their original proposed location that would have destroyed a precious stretch of Takayna forest.
This is a great step in the right direction out of Takayna, which is down to extraordinary efforts of thousands of community members taking a strong stand, and the phenomenal work of the Bob Brown Foundation, holding the line at McKimmie Creek.
But Takayna isn’t safe until MMG completely withdraws their initial toxic tailings dam proposal.
The new proposal at Exe Creek, while not in Takayna, is still a long way from the best mining practises that we should be seeing in modern day Tasmania.
This is a reminder of why there is a dire need for a whole review of Tasmania’s aged Mineral Resources Act, so that companies are required to treat waste on site, with global best sustainable practises. Which in the case of MMG proposal could be paste-fill.
The Greens again call on the Liberal Government to get serious about mining practises in Tasmania, which starts with a transparent and open review of the Act.
If MMG can heed the calls of people from across the nation to leave Takayna’s forests in tact for future generations, surely even the Tasmanian Liberal Government can start listening the resounding chorus of community advocating for the protection of this precious ancient landscape.
