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Rio Tinto and the Rhodes Ridge Joint Venture are investing $28 million in a partnership with Curtin University to establish a 7500-square-kilometre barrier aimed at stopping cane toads from reaching Western Australia’s Pilbara region.
The funding will be provided over five years to support infrastructure upgrades for the proposed Toad Containment Zone (TCZ), located between the Indian Ocean and the Great Sandy Desert, south of Broome.
It will modify pastoral water infrastructure to prevent the invasive species from moving south into the Pilbara. Early works are already underway, with the project expected to start in 2027.
Curtin University Professor Ben Phillips said cane toads were on track to reach the Pilbara within two decades without intervention.
“The Toad Containment Zone is a once in a lifetime opportunity to stop one of the world’s worst invasive species in its tracks and protect the region’s unique wildlife,” Phillips said.
“This project builds on decades of work from scientists around the country and is a genuine collaboration between Indigenous landowners, pastoral landholders, government and industry. It is a nationally significant conservation effort that safeguards biodiversity and cultural heritage across millions of hectares of the Australian continent.”
The project will involve modifying or containing 685 infrastructure items across six pastoral stations to create a dry corridor that cane toads cannot cross.
Research shows cane toads need access to water every few days to survive the dry season. Where natural water sources are scarce, they rely on artificial water points used for cattle and irrigation.
Rio Tinto Iron Ore managing director, Pilbara Rail, Port and Services, Chris Osborn said cane toads could pose a significant threat to native wildlife, with an estimated 25 native species potentially affected if they reached the region.
“Through our environment strategy we are working to protect the Pilbara’s unique biodiversity,” Osborn said.
“We are pleased to be partnering with Curtin University to establish the Toad Containment Zone to help protect around 27 million hectares of sensitive habitat from the spread of cane toads.”
The TCZ is also supported by Deakin University, Traditional Owners and pastoralists, with the Rhodes Ridge Joint Venture partners backing the project as a key conservation initiative.
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