The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA says Labor’s weekend election victory comes at a pivotal time in the state’s history, urging the returned government quickly set to work delivering on its plans.
CME Chief Executive Officer Rebecca Tomkinson says during his time as both State Development Minister and Premier, Roger Cook has demonstrated an appreciation for the immense contribution of the WA resources sector, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing industry.
“Premier Cook has outlined an ambitious vision to expand the State’s mining and manufacturing bases and produce more goods – including batteries, wind turbines and transmission lines – here in WA,” Tomkinson says.
“Key to realising those goals is a rapid acceleration in WA’s energy transition to deliver electricity that is low-emission, reliable and internationally cost-competitive.
“It will also require much greater access to well-located, development-ready industrial land and an ongoing focus on sharply reducing project assessment timeframes while maintaining our high standards of protection.”
According to Tomkinson, WA Labor made a range of election commitments in line with CME advocacy, including no new taxes or royalties targeting the WA resources sector; doubling the Strategic Industries Fund to $1 billion for the development of turnkey industrial land; and reducing the royalty rate on vanadium products to 2.5% with no royalties for midstream production of vanadium electrolyte.
Additionally, Labor also committed $13 million for upgrades to ease congestion and improve safety at the entries of the Kwinana and Kemerton Strategic Industrial Areas, $15.5 million for upgrades to Derby and Wyndham ports to support their First Point of Entry designation; and $60 million for a second round of the Investment Attraction Fund’s New Energies Industries stream.
Tomkinson says the Premier’s first priority must be the delivery of a draft master transmission plan for the South West Interconnected System to provide certainty and unlock investment in large-scale wind and solar generation.
“So much of the Premier’s plans for WA rely on his government delivering affordable, low-emission energy. Without it, we have no hope of making more things here in WA and will struggle just to hang on to our existing manufacturing base,” she adds.
“The Premier has been a strong advocate for the importance of our state’s resources sector to the Federal Government and it is critical he continues to fight for sensible and supportive Commonwealth policy.
“That must include repealing productivity-killing industrial relations reforms and changes to improve and streamline project assessment processes, enhancing environmental outcomes while eliminating duplication and providing certainty over timeframes.”
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Images: WA Government
