A Sacred Forest and a Foreign Mine: The Battle for Takayna/Tarkine

In northwest Tasmania, an escalating dispute over the future of the Takayna/Tarkine rainforest has emerged as a flashpoint in the global tension between resource extraction and environmental protection. At its core is a proposed tailings dam by Chinese state-owned miner MMG, which environmentalists say threatens one of Earth's last expanses of temperate rainforest.

MMG's presence in Tasmania is part of a broader push by Chinese state-owned companies to secure critical minerals across the Asia-Pacific. From the Pacific Islands to Papua New Guinea and Australia, these projects are increasingly clashing with local demands to protect the environment and respect Indigenous land rights.

MMG has previously faced environmental and community backlash over its operations in Peru and Laos, including protests over water pollution near its Las Bambas copper mine and concerns about biodiversity impacts at its Sepon gold and copper mine.

With China's naval presence reportedly increasing near Tasmania, MMG's tailings dam proposal has become part of a broader debate about China's strategic interests in sensitive ecological and cultural zones.

As scholars interviewed by The Diplomat's managing editor, Catherine Putz, have observed concerning Central Asia, Chinese-backed projects often attract heightened scrutiny over environmental and sovereignty concerns amid rising Sinophobic sentiment that complicates local perceptions and resistance.