The Weipa Bauxite Operations are one of the world’s largest bauxite mining complexes, located on the western Cape York Peninsula near the town of Weipa.

Operated by Rio Tinto, mining in the area began in 1963 following the discovery of extensive bauxite deposits in 1955.

The operation consists of several open-cut bauxite mines, including East Weipa, Andoom and the Amrun mine, along with extensive infrastructure such as processing facilities, rail systems, ports and ship loading facilities.

Bauxite is mined from shallow deposits using open-pit methods, crushed and transported by conveyor, road or rail to export terminals at the Port of Weipa.

Weipa produces more than 30Mt of bauxite annually, making it a key supplier of the raw material used to produce alumina and aluminium.

Much of the bauxite is shipped to alumina refineries in Gladstone, including the Queensland Alumina Refinery and Yarwun Refinery, while additional volumes are exported to international markets.

The operations form a critical part of Rio Tinto’s global aluminium supply chain and are a major economic driver for Cape York, supporting local employment and long-term agreements with Traditional Owner groups in the region.