Greens Leader Bob Brown Fights Against Small Sand Mine

By Madigan Landry

ABC South West WA

Topic: Mining and Environment

Monday, June 1, 2026, at 10:33 am

Save Our Pits organizer Matt Mulhall, Bob Brown, and Kim Sadler are fighting a proposed sand mine in Yallingup, Western Australia.

In short:

Bob Brown, the first leader of the Greens party, is fighting a proposed sand mine in Yallingup, Western Australia.

The local construction group says the sand from the mine is needed to build houses in the area.

What's next?

The public can give their opinions on the proposed mine until June 12.

A famous Australian conservationist, Bob Brown, has joined a local fight against a small sand mine in Yallingup, Western Australia.

The proposed mine would take out 453,000 cubic meters of sand over five years, which the building industry says is necessary for local housing.

The mine is small, but it has caused a big reaction from the community. The community is worried about the mine.

People are worried about the safety of the roads and a nearby tourist spot called Injidup Natural Spa, which is two kilometers from the proposed mine.

Injidup Natural Spa is a popular tourist spot with beautiful rocks and clean water.

The rocks at Injidup Natural Spa are a popular tourist attraction.

A famous conservationist is helping the fight.

The campaign against the mine has the support of Bob Brown, the first leader of the Greens party.

Bob Brown visited the site and said the project is an 'industrial nightmare'.

Bob Brown said the mine would take away the natural beauty of the area and make it less attractive to tourists.

Bob Brown visited the site this month.

Bob Brown said the mine would turn a beautiful, quiet place into a money-making venture.

The ABC asked the company behind the mine, Cape Sand Supplies, for a comment.

Critics are also worried about more traffic on Caves Road, a busy tourist road.

The mine could add 200 heavy truck movements to Caves Road every day.

Caves Road is a 110-kilometer road that goes through many tourist spots in the South West.

The organizer of Protect Our Pits, Matt Mulhall, said road safety is a big concern.

Matt Mulhall said Caves Road is already a dangerous road because it winds through scenic valleys.

Sand for more homes

The South West region has a serious housing shortage, with some towns having no houses for rent.

The company behind the mine said there is a growing demand for clean sand to support big urban development projects.

The South West region is growing fast and has a serious housing shortage.

Jason Robertson from Master Builders WA said the sand resource needs to be managed carefully.

Jason Robertson said the materials need to be easily accessible and that there needs to be enough of them to support future work.

If the sand is local, it will be cheaper; if it's from farther away, it will be more expensive.

The proposed sand mine is located on Caves Road.

Two other sand mine applications in the South West region are being assessed.

Bob Brown said the natural landscape should be protected over the housing industry.

Bob Brown said housing is being built all over Australia without sand mines in the local area.

The main reason for the mine is money.

The public can give their opinions on the proposed mine until June 12.

Monday, June 1, 2026, at 10:33 am

Promotion

Practice Listening