Cape Alumina takes on Russell Crowe and Terri Irwin
The Australian
CAPE Alumina is taking on Russell Crowe after the Gladiator star joined the fight to stop its push to mine bauxite in Cape York.

Crowe raised concerns about the mine on David Letterman's prime time US TV show this week.

Crowe has backed Terri Irwin's campaign to stop the development of the mine, which encroaches on Queensland land she purchased to honour her late husband Steve Irwin.

Cape Alumina chief executive Paul Messenger said Crowe's arguments were ill-informed and inaccurate.

Mr Messenger said Crowe and Irwin had incorrectly stated that bauxite acted as a sponge and was a source of water for nearby springs. He said bauxite was porous and did not hold water for a prolonged period. "It is annoying when people make strong claims based on no information," he said.

"I have written to Mr Crowe and invited him to accompany me on a tour of the site and we have always had an open invitation to Ms Irwin."

Cape Alumina has been conducting environmental studies on its Pisolite Hills bauxite project after it won a court battle to access part of the 135,000ha Bertiehaugh Station pastoral lease acquired by Irwin.

The reserve, on Queensland's Cape York Peninsula, was purchased by an Irwin family company, Silverback Properties, after Steve Irwin's death in September 2006. However, Cape Alumina holds mining exploration leases over about 10 per cent of Terri Irwin's land and plans to mine less than 2 per cent.

Irwin has said the planned mine will destroy a pristine environment, including the Wenlock River, and is promoting a petition to ensure the development does not go ahead.

Mr Messenger said Cape Alumina had been on the land three years before Irwin purchased the land -- which she bought through a $6 million federal government grant -- and had initially held a meeting with her.

"I thought the meeting was quite productive and we suggested follow-up meetings to address any concerns, but instead she has decided to use the media rather than engage us in a productive way," he said. "We have a good relationship with all the other stakeholders and have had active consultations and meetings with them."

Mr Messenger said the project was subject to strict environmental approvals and the environmental impact study was an open and transparent process.

"We are a very open book and the EIS is a very comprehensive process," he said.

Mr Messenger said long-term demand from China would support the mine and he had already help preliminary discussions with potential Chinese customers.

"We have the potential to do what Twiggy Forrest did in the Pilbara when he targeted a large acreage that was considered second tier iron ore," he said.

"We believe we have the equivalent of that in bauxite in western Cape York."