Kings Park festival caught up in Alcoa ‘greenwashing’ claims

A major festival in Perth’s iconic Kings Park has been drawn into allegations of greenwashing as public comment closes on the first-ever independent scrutiny of US miner Alcoa’s operations in the northern jarrah forests.

During a budget estimates hearings this week, Greens MLC Jess Beckerling questioned the motives behind an alleged $200,000 donation from Alcoa to the Kings Park board for the company to become a diamond sponsor for the Everlasting Kings Park Festival.

That donation, which the state government said it was not aware of, has since been denied by both Alcoa and the Kings Park board.

Both claimed Alcoa was supporting an international scientific conference in seed science, but not the festival, which will not have a major sponsor this year.

But renowned horticulturalist Sabrina Hahn claimed there had been quiet discontent brewing regarding an Alcoa donation to the festival for some time, and believed Kings Park pulled the pin on the funding after being contacted by media following Tuesday’s estimates hearing.

“Lotterywest used to fund the festival and that is not the case this year, so it would make sense for [Kings Park] to look for funding elsewhere,” she said.

“But to take it from Alcoa goes against the core principles Kings Park has had, and maintains – protecting bushland and biodiversity.

“I don’t know what they were thinking if they were ever considering accepting the money, they can’t have been thinking much at all.”

During the estimates hearing, Beckerling said she was “sure the irony is lost on nobody here that this is a company that, if it gets away with it, will have cleared the equivalent of 400 Kings Parks in the northern jarrah forest by 2045”.

“If the government isn’t providing sufficient funding for [the Everlasting Kings Park Festival], and Alcoa is becoming a sponsor, this is a pretty significant case of greenwashing, I’d suggest,” she said.

“I think it’s important ... that we understand if the [Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions] is seeking and taking money from Alcoa as sponsorship.”

In response, Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn said he was unaware of any sponsorship, but said Kings Park partnered with organisations to supplement and support conservation work.

“It is always competitive to get money out of corporates across this state to invest in those areas,” he said.

“I understand the Greens’ objection to Alcoa and the basis for it, and that you have a particular view about mining and how inappropriate it is for the state, so that’s fine, that’s your perspective.”

Former Kings Park board member Hans Lambers told ABC Radio that he would have quit if sponsorship from Alcoa was accepted while he was employed, and agreed it amounted to greenwashing.

A statement from Alcoa sent to this masthead said the company “does not have a sponsorship agreement in place for the Kings Park Everlasting Festival for 2025”, but did have “a long history of providing financial and in-kind support”.

“Over more than five decades, Alcoa has supported the publication of more than 250 referred journal papers and book chapters, 80 technical studies, and about 60 higher-degree research theses in environmental research,” a spokesperson said.

“Far from being a pretty significant case of greenwashing as claimed by Ms Beckerling during the 26 August Budget Estimates Hearing with DBCA, support for events, projects and organisations with interests in environmental matters has long been a core focus for Alcoa’s community giving and volunteering programs and will remain so into the future.”

A letter from Botanical Gardens and Parks Authority Board chairwoman Gail McGowan to Conservation Council WA executive director Matt Roberts – who had raised his concern about the sponsorship – stated, “there will be no major sponsor for the 2025 festival”.

Kings Park did not confirm when asked for clarification on whether there had ever been consideration given to funding from Alcoa, or if that funding had been accepted and then rejected.

“BGPA had conversations with multiple stakeholders regarding the sponsorship of this year’s festival, however no sponsor was secured for 2025 or future years,” they said.

“No funding or donation of any kind has been provided to BGPA for the Everlasting Kings Park Festival from any corporate partner, individual or other funders.”

Roberts said it was “staggering” if the board had allegedly accepted sponsorship from Alcoa, given the Environmental Protection Agency had received around 59,000 submissions regarding the company’s plans for mining in the northern jarrah forest.

“This level of public objection is unprecedented and sends a clear signal that West Australians are united in their disgust at the ongoing decimation of the only jarrah forest on the planet, home to a host of endangered species including our beloved black cockatoos,” he said.

“Alcoa has a history of looking at partnerships to buy its social licence, but, in light of what is happening to our northern jarrah forest because of their strip mining, we have to draw a line in the sand and stop giving them any credibility – especially when it comes to nature.”

An Alcoa spokesperson said that “Alcoa respects that we operate in areas of high value to the community and commits to undertaking a comprehensive review of the comments”.

“The areas of the northern jarrah forest where Alcoa operates are among a limited number of global locations where bauxite occurs,” they said.

“All areas cleared for mining by Alcoa have been previously logged, most more than once according to a 2025 report from the WA Biodiversity Science Institute.

“We progressively mine then carry out rehabilitation work informed by the decades of research and development and government requirements of the day.”

In estimates, Swinbourn admitted he had concerns surrounding the company and its work in the jarrah forest, but said it remained a lawful activity within WA, “so I’m not going to cast them into the same basket that is often cast in by others”.

“The EPA is currently undertaking a large body of work in relation to the northern jarrah forest,” he said, responding to Beckerling.

“I eagerly await the EPA independent report on that particular aspect, but as I say, I’m not going to damn them in the same way that you’ve damned them, but that’s your prerogative to do that.”

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