Welcome to Alcoa's latest Point Henry Community Update

We’ve had a productive and safe year so far as we continue to build on momentum with remediation activities across our former smelter site.

While there is still progress to be made, our work to date has delivered great achievements across several key focus areas.

Environment, health and safety

Consistent with our values and actions both during operations and since closure, critically we’ve maintained our track record of achieving zero injuries for our workforce and maintaining full environmental compliance for all activities.

As required by the Environmental Action Notice, a six-monthly status report was submitted to EPA Victoria in June 2025.

Image above: Former CPL landfill site - surface finishing works complete ready for vegetation establishment.

Landfill consolidation project delivery

The landfill consolidation project is a key component of transitioning Point Henry into a valuable community asset for generations to come, involving reducing the number of our landfill sites from three to two.

A significant milestone was recently achieved with the complete removal of the former CPL landfill. Works throughout 2025 have included:

Completing backfilling of the former CPL landfill site with clean soil to fill the void left after relocation of the CPL landfill contents to the new containment cells at the Moolap landfill site
Revegetation of the former CPL landfill area with native grasses in accordance with the council planning permit issued for the project
Sowing of grass seed across the capped portions of the Moolap landfill site after receiving the CPL landfill contents - establishment of vegetation on the Moolap landfill cap is a requirement of the site’s after care and management plan

Final remediation of original landfill

With the landfill consolidation project now complete, we have turned our attention to planning for the long-term final capping and closure of the original landfill site located on the southeast corner of the former smelter site.

This work will include the recovery of some historical waste placed on Crown land and returning it to Alcoa freehold land, and reshaping the landfill to reduce its overall footprint.

The site will then receive final capping using a current, best environmental practice system to ensure long-term protection of the environment. Grass will then be sown across the capped site.

Alcoa is currently working with both the EPA and local council to ensure all required permissions and planning permits are in place prior to the commencement of the planned works, which are expected to take up to two years to complete.

Image above: Hays Road north pond liner removal

Continuation of remaining remediation works

At the beginning of 2025, in addition to the above, the remaining environmental remediation activities for the former smelter site included the removal of former evaporation ponds at Alcoa’s Hays Road site, industrial site hot spot soil remediation, and remediation of the eastern foreshore constructed wetlands.

Evaporation ponds

Pleasingly, in late-May the remaining brine water contents in the former evaporation ponds was removed, along with sludge and liner materials – a major strategic milestone for the site.

Validation sampling has been completed, and the final site levelling work for all three former evaporation pond areas on Hays Road has recently commenced.

Hot spot soil remediation

Our work to remove locally impacted soil across our former smelter site has concluded, with activities including:

Recovery and relocation of impacted soils to the new Moolap landfill site containment cells
Removal, offsite treatment and disposal of only a small amount of soil which exceeded the allowable classification for relocation to the Moolap landfill
Clean soil importation to backfill several of the industrial site remediation excavation areas

Eastern foreshore constructed wetlands remediation project

In July, a planning permit application was submitted to the local council for remediation of the engineered, constructed wetlands on the eastern foreshore.

The works, involving the planned removal of contaminated sediments captured by design in the engineered wetland features during operation of the smelter and rolling mill, require council review and approval, along with several referral agencies, including EPA Victoria, the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action, and the Catchment Management Authority.

Once approved, the works will be undertaken during periods of low rainfall to minimise any risks to the environment. The sediments will then be placed in the last remaining open landfill cell at the Moolap landfill site.

Development partner EOI

Throughout 2025, we have been advancing the development partner expression of interest process to secure a potential long-term development partner who shares Alcoa’s values and vision for the redevelopment of the site as a legacy project for Geelong.

The Request for Proposal process was successfully completed with a high level of interest in the site continuing to be demonstrated, resulting in a further short list of potential development partners.

Further discussions will be held with the final shortlisted participants in the process, with a development partner expected to be confirmed in early 2026.

A project such as this is anticipated to take more than 20 years and is guided by the Point Henry 575 Concept Master Plan and the state’s Moolap Coastal Strategic Framework Plan.

Involving the community

If you have any feedback or questions for Alcoa, please do not hesitate to contact the team via point.henry@alcoa.com.au.

To read more about our activities, including previous updates, visit our website www.alcoa.com/australia/en/point-henry.

Alcoa acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands where we operate, the Wadawurrung People, and pay respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.

Alcoa Australia

Point Henry Road, Moolap VIC 3219