The Western Australian Government will build on the state’s economic resilience by partnering with local businesses following the conclusion of the Trade and Economic Resilience roundtable.
Meeting with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia (CME) and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia (CCIWA), the government discussed supply chain infrastructure, sovereign capability, market diversification, energy and resource security, and state policy.
The government has agreed to work with its meeting partners to develop infrastructure and policy in the energy sector to deliver affordable and reliable gas supported energy through a new low-cost system in Western Australia.
Industrial zones will be highlighted, as the government plans to prioritise transformative projects by accelerating and streamlining approval processes for businesses, as well as maintaining necessary common-use infrastructure.
The state will also place a focus on ensuring skilled workers are available to deliver projects, including those in the resources and renewable energy sectors.
Delivering projects
Deputy Premier and Treasurer Rita Saffioti says it is important for the government to work closely with the private sector to propel the state forward.
“Our Trade and Economic Resilience roundtable coincided with the release of quarterly data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which again highlighted Western Australia’s strong domestic economy, with growth almost double the national rate in the year to March 2025,” Saffioti says.
The mid-year review of Western Australia’s economy indicates that the 2023 to 2024 growth of 5.7% is expected to increase another 3.5% across 2024 to 2025.
Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia CEO Rebecca Tomkinson says this plan is a coordinated approach to increase the state’s capacity for diversification, removing regulatory and infrastructure bottlenecks, and to establish stronger policy.
“WA is a well-established, top-tier resources jurisdiction with strong ESG credentials and a stable operating environment – but to remain globally competitive, we must continue to optimise this position through policy certainty, infrastructure readiness, and streamlined approvals,” Tomkinson says.
Western Australia is often considered the export hub for resources, producing more than 50 different minerals across 134 projects. CME reports the state is ranked in the top 10 of the world’s total production.
Western Australia’s mining and resources companies contributed a record-breaking $150 billion to the economy during the 2023 to 2024 financial year, highlighting the importance of this sector.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
Images: Government of Western Australia
