The Britannia Bay application stood out for its lack of substance, with little information beyond the original notice of intent, and no further documentation made available. After attempting to find out more about the application, concerned local residents formed an organisation called Action St Helena Bay to fight it.
Action St Helena Bay embarked on a campaign of awareness that garnered more than 18,000 individual objections to the proposal and set up a petition, which was signed by 2,100 people.
Protect the West Coast (PTWC) learned of this application in late 2025. But, despite our best efforts and contacts, we could not find out anything more about the application or the company behind it, nor could we obtain any supporting documentation.
Although the application was rejected due to glaring technical flaws, the DMPR indicated that had these been satisfactorily addressed, the application would have probably been approved.
Nonetheless, it is an indication that public pressure played a role in the rejection. Outright rejections are rare in a system that has been inclined to approve almost every prospecting application, even those with obvious flaws, and it appears to be a sign that activists and organisations are having a positive effect.
“We are ecstatic at this outcome,” a representative of Action St Helena Bay said. “The level of resistance is important.”
Though there is the possibility that Zucolox may try to address these flaws and resubmit their application, for now this is a victory to be celebrated. A big thanks to Action St Helena Bay and all those who signed the petition and objected to this prospecting application.
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