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Tue, 03 Nov 2026

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 Mining giant joins fight to stop killer toad march across Australia

Rio Tinto is jointly funding a A$28m "toad containment zoe" to protect the Pilbara region.
Rio Tinto is investing $28 million (£14.5 million) to create a "toad containment zone" in western Australia, where the company has an iron ore operation, to prevent poisonous cane toads from reaching the area. The project will involve building a 7,500 square kilometer barrier across land between the Great Sandy Desert and the Indian Ocean to cut off the toads' water supply. The funding will be used to block access to dams, storage tanks, and other artificial water sources that the toads rely on during dry months. Native species such as the northern quoll, goanna lizard, and ghost bat are at risk if the toads reach Pilbara. Without natural predators or diseases to control them, the toads can travel long distances and defend themselves using poison. According to Curtin University professor Ben Phillips, the toads would reach Pilbara within two decades without action. The project aims to stop one of the world's worst invasive species in its tracks and protect the region's unique wildlife. The containment zone is part of a five-year effort starting in 2027. Rio Tinto has previously faced criticism for destroying sacred Aboriginal rock shelters in the area, but the company has committed to rebuilding trust with Indigenous communities. Native ranger Roberta Hunter said: "Cane toads destroy the water and animals. We want to stop them because we don't want our country to be destroyed." The cane toad was introduced into Australia in 1935 to control beetles in the sugar cane industry, but it has since spread across the country's northern landscape at a rate of between 40-60 kilometers per year. The project is a joint effort between Rio Tinto, Curtin University, and other partners.