Rio Tinto backs $20 million effort to stop Pilbara cane toads
Rio and its mining partners will fund a vast conservation corridor in Western Australia to shield vulnerable species .
Rio Tinto, along with its Rhodes Ridge Joint Venture partners, is pledging A$28 million ($20 million) over five years to halt the spread of invasive cane toads into Australia's Pilbara region. This area, renowned for its iron ore reserves, is at risk of becoming overrun by the poisonous amphibians within the next two decades if left unchecked.
Professor Ben Phillips of Curtin University warns that the Toad Containment Zone, spanning 7,500 sq. km, is a unique opportunity to protect the region's unique wildlife from the devastating impact of cane toads. The project, set to commence in 2027, involves modifying or blocking access to 685 water infrastructure items across six pastoral stations, creating a dry corridor that aims to prevent the toads from advancing further south.
By making existing water sources inaccessible to the toads, researchers hope to create an environment inhospitable for their survival. This strategy could help mining companies avoid escalating environmental compliance costs and complicated development approvals should the toads decimate native wildlife.
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