Alcoa has been urged by the West Australian emergency services minister to support the Yarloop community, after the aluminium giant said it would not rebuild some company-owned houses razed by a deadly bushfire.
All but one of 35 Alcoa houses destroyed in the blaze last month were within a buffer zone for the Wagerup Alumina Refinery, which the company established in 2001 to allow for future expansion of its bauxite residue storage area in the zone's west.
The fire-affected area at Yarloop is in the south of the zone, however, where it is effectively a noise buffer for the refinery, and the company announced on Tuesday that the properties would accordingly not be rebuilt.
"If they don't rebuild some of the houses, that will have an impact on the community," Joe Francis told reporters on Wednesday.
"No one wants to see any country town with vacant blocks on it.
"I would remind them that they have an obligation to support the community."
He said there were "different views" among the Yarloop community about Alcoa and noted the company had made a significant contribution to the Lord Mayor's Distress Relief Fund, which has so far raised $5.7 million.
"I do expect, though, Alcoa to be a good corporate citizen and do the right thing, but at the end of the day, that's a commercial decision," Mr Francis said.
Alcoa said it was providing assistance to those affected by the fire, and had made and continued to make a significant positive contribution to local communities.
