Talison Lithium is a private company owned by two companies under a joint venture arrangement – Tianqi Lithium Corporation / IGO Limited JV (51%) and Albemarle Corporation (49%).

Headquartered in Perth, Talison Lithium has been leading global lithium production since 1983. Our Greenbushes operation has a rich history dating back to the discovery of tin in 1888 and many of our team members have deep, generational ties to the mine.

Talison is proud to support the global transition to clean energy and equally proud of its contribution to Australia’s economy and communities. In 2024, Talison contributed over $853.4 million to local, state, and federal governments, and invested more than $7 million in community projects across the South West region.

A waste rock landform is an area used for storing the waste rock that is removed from the open pit during mining operations. It is an engineered structure, designed to reduce environmental impacts such as erosion, drainage, and contamination. Waste rock landforms are rehabilitated progressively to blend with the surrounding landscape and land uses.

Talison’s Greenbushes operation needs to grow.

Talison continues to play an important role in achieving net zero emissions globally, supplying 20% of the world’s lithium, which is fundamental for manufacturing electric vehicles and power storage batteries. To continue to play this critical role and meet global lithium demand, Talison’s Greenbushes operation needs to grow. As we do this, there will be benefits in terms of increased employment opportunities, community investment and support of local businesses however, the same growth will also mean we need more space to store waste rock and, with less rainfall due to climate change, we also require greater water storage capacity. 

We are proposing to expand the mine to the east and south of the current Greenbushes site to deliver:

• an additional waste rock landform and expansion of the existing Floyds waste rock landform

• expanded storage capacity at the Saltwater Gully Dam.

• a highway crossing (overpass or underpass) to allow haul truck access to the new waste rock landform, without disrupting traffic on South Western Highway.

• supporting infrastructure such as internal roads and powerlines, and water management to protect the surrounding catchment.

We will work extremely hard to minimise impacts.

As the project progresses, our neighbours living near the mine may see changes in the amount of light, noise and dust. We understand this may create a negative impact to some people, and we will work extremely hard to minimise these impacts whether it is on our neighbours, our environment or anyone living in, or visiting, the South West.

Greenbushes is expanding to meet the growing global demand for lithium and, as the pit expands, there is an increasing need to store waste rock and rehabilitation materials, manage water supply and develop supporting infrastructure. At the same time, we’re experiencing less rainfall due to climate change, which means we require greater water storage capacity. 

Talison’s existing Floyds waste rock landform is expected to reach capacity soon so, we’ve explored several options to ensure the additional waste rock produced over the next decade could be stored in areas with the lowest possible environmental, social and community impact.  

We are proposing to expand the mine to the east and south to deliver:

• an additional waste rock landform and expansion of the existing Floyds waste rock landform.

• expanded water storage capacity at the Saltwater Gully Dam.

• a highway crossing to allow haul truck access to the new waste rock landform, without disrupting traffic on South Western Highway. Whether the crossing is over or under the highway will be determined during the detailed design process in 2025, in consultation with Main Roads WA and other stakeholders.

• supporting infrastructure such as stockpiles of rehabilitation materials, internal roads and powerlines, and water management to protect the surrounding environment.

Our expansion will lead to benefits such as increased employment opportunities, community investment, and support of local businesses. However, we understand those living near the mine may see increases in the amount of light, noise, and dust, and we will work hard to minimise these impacts on our neighbours, our environment, and anyone living in or visiting the South West.

As the waste rock from the mine is moved from the pit to create new and expanded landforms, the growing extent of operations at Greenbushes will become more noticeable.

Those living near the mine will see changes in the amount of light, noise and dust generated. We will work extremely hard to minimise these impacts on the environment, our neighbours and anyone living in, or visiting, the South West.

To download our dust and dust management factsheet please click here.

We are proposing to combine the five existing Salt Water Gully dams into one larger catchment dam with increased capacity.

The location, in Salt Water Gully on the Lyons River, has been chosen to minimise impacts on other landholders and downstream water users. The expansion area for the dam is predominantly on cleared land owned by Talison.

As the project progresses to the design phase, we are actively seeking input and feedback from stakeholders to minimise environmental and community impacts.

The existing Floyds waste rock landform (WRL) will reach capacity soon, so we are proposing to extend it further south, progressively building the extension up to the height of the current landform to preserve visual amenity.

Supporting infrastructure will also be required including access roads, stockpiles of rehabilitation materials, and runoff and seepage collection drains.

The planned extension is within the current mine development area and involves clearing native vegetation within the state forest boundary. As such it will require additional environmental approvals, comprehensive rehabilitation plans and acquisition of new environmental offset areas, outside the mine site. These offset areas will be carefully selected to ensure habitat protection for threatened species and will be much larger than the area cleared.

The proposed new waste rock landform will be located adjacent to the current Greenbushes mine, immediately east of South Western Highway, north of the Hester Cascades Road.

It will be progressively built to the height of the current Floyds Waste Rock Landform to preserve visual amenity and remain consistent with local topography.

A highway crossing is proposed to enable haul truck access to the waste rock landform without affecting traffic on the South Western Highway. Consultation with Main Roads WA and local stakeholders will inform the design and location of the highway crossing, which could be an underpass or overpass.

We have carefully selected these locations to avoid sensitive environmental areas and minimise clearing of vegetation and disruption to the community.

As part of the environmental assessment process, we will work with our stakeholders to consider the best options for mitigating operational impacts, using our existing environmental management measures (such as noise, dust and water quality management technologies) as well as applying fit-for-purpose mitigation and management techniques, in consultation with our stakeholders.

Please contact us if you have any suggestions or would like to discuss this with a member of our team. Email projects@talisonlithium.com or call 1300 904 650.

To download our dust and dust management factsheet please click here.

The proposal will require the approval of state and federal environmental agencies, initially under the Environment Protection Act 1986 and Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Both are public processes which we expect will occur throughout 2025 and 2026, with several opportunities for public comment, which will be advertised widely. We will share more information about this as it becomes available.

Talison has several other projects in progress which are separate to this expansion project. For example, we are nearing competition of our third chemical grade plant (CGP 3) and in 2024 we opened the doors of Caladenia Village, our new permanent accommodation facility for the Talison workforce.

We are also currently constructing a haul road through our property which will enable transport of rehabilitation materials from the mine site to designated stockpile locations. These materials will then be used to rehabilitate areas disturbed by mining over the life of the mine. This construction is a key part of our rehabilitation efforts and it can be seen from the South Western Highway. Once the road is completed, we will begin to build the rehabilitation material stockpiles; then regular hauling will stop. Future hauling will only occur as needed. If you would like to speak to a member of our community team about general Talison operations or other projects that are separate to this expansion, please email GBContact@talisonlithium.com.

Water is essential for mining, processing, construction and dust suppression activities. Talison only extracts groundwater that naturally collects in mining voids - we do not, and have no plans to, use bores for groundwater extraction. All other operational water comes from rainwater collected in onsite dams. As we expand, we will need more water, so we plan to increase our dam capacity to better retain rainfall that falls on the mine site.

Talison also sources potable water from the Warren Blackwood Water Scheme for drinking and ablutions for our people, both onsite and at our accommodation facilities. We have a water management plan to manage potential impacts on surface and groundwater, strictly adhering to environmental quality standards. Our focus is on improving water capture, increasing recycling of process water through our award-winning water treatment plant, and adopting water-saving technologies to reduce consumption and maintain water quality.

Over the coming months, as part of the environmental approvals process for the expansion project, Talison will progress the detailed project design. A project timeline is available on this page. We genuinely value the input we receive from members of our local community, and we look forward to discussing our plans and hearing your thoughts. Throughout 2025 and 2026, there will be several formal public consultation opportunities. Please keep an eye on this website for the latest information on how to get involved.

Read through the information on the dedicated project website talisonlithium.com/projects and see the ‘Get in touch’ section.

We will also publish links to the environmental referral documents, which include technical studies, on our website – once these have been made available by the relevant state and federal environmental agencies.