Kangwinan

NORMAN CREEK, CAPE YORK PENINSULA

The Kangwinan bauxite expansion project in Far North Queensland, Australia, is the newest addition to our Weipa operations.  

Kangwinan will establish a new bauxite production centre south-east of our Amrun mine, including a 15-kilometre conveyor to transport ore to expanded stockyard and wharf facilities at Amrun.  

The project will add 20 million tonnes of annual bauxite production capacity to our Weipa operations, increasing capacity to 44 million tonnes per year and securing our supply of high-quality Amrun bauxite. 

Construction is expected to support more than 1,300 construction jobs, and we're aiming for first ore output in 2029 and full production by 2032.

Longer term, the project will help sustain our residentially based workforce of around 1,500 people in the Western Cape York region. 

Working with communities 

Kangwinan will operate on the Traditional lands of the Wik & Wik Waya, Alngith, Peppan and Wathayn Peoples. The project was named “Kangwinan” at the request of the Wik Waya People. Kangwinan is a protector of all sacred, ceremonial and female protocols of the Wik Waya tribe. It is also the name of the black female crow, a totem of the Wik Waya People. 

We have well-established and robust processes for co-management of cultural heritage on the Western Cape, and we look forward to further evolving these practices through Kangwinan. Participation and input from Traditional Owners will be critical to this process.  

We consulted with Traditional Owners throughout the pre-feasibility and feasibility studies and will continue through the construction phase. The proposed development does not impact protected areas, and management plans have been developed to protect matters of conservation significance.  

We are very grateful for the ongoing support of Traditional Owners.